


Phantom Titan

by Neeko96



Category: Danny Phantom, Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Angsty Danny gets better, Cross over pairings are fun, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cyborg and Beast Boy are trolls, Danny has type, Danny joins the titans, Donuts equal friendship, Evenentually, F/M, Humor, It has a serious plot I swear., Mystery, Post TUE, Romance, Supernatural - Freeform, Titan's have a ghost problem, Uncle Vlad isn't too bad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:28:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 140,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26954377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neeko96/pseuds/Neeko96
Summary: Danny's feeling awful after watching his whole life blow up before his eyes. Clockwork, unable to fix anything, decides to give Danny a push in the right direction. He finds himself in Jump city where he meets some other heroes who he may come to find need his help more than they initially thought. It seems someone is upsetting the balance between dimensions, what's a Halfa do do? Cross Post on FF
Relationships: Danny Fenton/Raven (DCU), Robin/Starfire
Comments: 64
Kudos: 90





	1. Fateful Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> I used to watch Teen Titans all the time when I was younger and recently got the whole series and re-watched it. That was the inspiration behind the oh so unoriginal DP and TT crossover story you are about to view. I know this has been done so many times but I wanted to take a crack at it. This is my 4th Dp cross over story so I hope this turns out good. I have another one with Kim Possible that seemed to go well if ya'll are interested.
> 
> This one is a post TUE story but I messed with the timeline a bit so some season 3 events did occur like getting his ice powers. I made him 16 and the Teen Titans timeline is after the movie Trouble in Tokyo. The first chapter may seem angsty but I'm going to try and gradually steer away from that as I go.
> 
> Also- Please not I'm starting with a shifting point of view but it will go away after a few chapters.

Danny's POV

They're gone….. all of them….. gone. I found myself going over it over and over in my head but… it can't be real. I gazed over the site of the explosion for probably the billionth time. "I won didn't I?" Why aren't they here!? Why couldn't I save them!? It's not fair!... but it is. I was the reason all of this happened. "It's my fault."

"Yes but you over turned your destiny." I turned to see Clockwork floating at my right. "I gave you the chance to change your future and you took it. You chose to do the right thing. Blaming yourself will only keep you in one place, but if you move forward, you can find something to live for." He looked mournfully at the ruined Nasty Burger.

"Couldn't you do something…. Anything?" He's the master of time for Pete's sake.

"I'm sorry but I already interfered far too much. The time stream can only be bent so much."

Just as I thought… nothing can change. I felt my hands begin to tremble. "They're…. Gone….." I floated down to the center of the wreckage.

"Daniel…. You have to move forward." I placed my hands over my face and felt the tears fall. He placed his hand on my back. He cares and I know he's trying to help, but he's asking the impossible here! My parents, sister, Tucker… Sam. What else can I possibly have to live for!? "Well if you refuse to listen to me now, how about a nice distraction? I'm sure you could use something to get yourself moving."

He then handed me a piece of paper and left. It was coupon…. For donuts. I couldn't help but let out a choked laugh. He's got a messed up sense of humor if he thinks that donuts are going to make me feel better. I don't even know where this place is. "Daniel!" Great…. Just who I wanted interrupting my sulking.

"What do you want, Plasmius?" I didn't bother getting up or turning to face him.

"You've been moping around for the last week…. You need to come home." I'm a bit surprised he's not more angry. This has to be the 5th time I've ditched him. I was moved in to live with him only a few days after the explosion, but it'll never be my home. That house is…. Cold. It only makes me miss all those I lost even more.

"That's not my house!" I clutched at my knees. "It never will be!"

"Daniel, you have to let them go!"

"Easy for you to say! The only one you cared about was my mom!" He remained silent after that. Figures, I hit the nail on the head. How could he possibly understand how this feels.

"You're right…." Whoa wait….. did I just hear that right? I turned to him in a bit of amazement. "What? Is it so amazing that I admit you're right for once!? Maddie was the only one I lost and I'd like it to stay that way! I know we've never really gotten along but….."

NO….no no no no no! "I get it alright! You finally have what you wanted, but I'm not coming back! All you've ever wanted was me as your stupid apprentice and now that I've got nowhere to go, I'm right where you want me right?! Well I'm not about to let that happen!" I flew off at top speed, which was pretty hard considering I haven't eaten all day.

I just needed to get away from him. Get as far away as possible! I headed towards Lake Eerie just as the sun began to set. Normally I would enjoy the meld of colors that bled through the sky at this time but now…. Now it reminds me that there is no one to watch it with. The quiet I hear isn't because Sam and I are enjoying the silence, it's because I'm the only one there.

Why did things have to be this way!? If I had only stopped him sooner! If I had only been there before it got so bad! If I hadn't tried to take a short cut… tried to cheat…. This never would have happened! I took a glance back behind me and didn't see him following. It's only a matter of time before he finds me again though. He's pretty good at that.

The lake looked almost normal under the twilight glow. Last time I was here… was with Sam and Tuck. Why does everything I see remind me of them….? It's like my mind is playing a sick and twisted joke on me.

Once I landed, finding who I was looking for didn't take long. He probably smelled me the minute I got close. "My friend!" He jumped from the woods and pounced on me. After a lick to the face I was finally able to talk to him.

" Hey, Wulf….."

He got off me and seemed to sense my depressed mood. "What is wrong my friend? You look horrible."

Horrible was an understatement. I haven't done much of anything but mope around for the last week, heck I haven't showered in days, though flying around probably disperses the smell a bit. "I need to ask a favor of you Wulf."

He gave me a sympathetic look. "Anything my friend."

"Could you tear open a ghost portal for me?" I had shut down the Fenton portal after the incident. After I handed the thermos off to Clockwork, I tried everything I could to keep ghosts out of town. It worked for the most part. Only one ghost attack has happened since then, but the Box Ghost isn't much to worry about in my opinion.

"I would be happy to friend, but….. are you sure this is what you want? I'm not sure what it is that weighs on your mind but I do not believe the answer is there."

I nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I just need to get away for a bit… think over a few things."

"If this is what you want I will not stop you, go my friend." With that he slashed through the air leaving a dimensional rift in his wake. He stepped aside and I dashed through.

* * *

The ghost zone hadn't change much, but what did I expect? For it to just disappear because I shut the portal? I looked around at the glowing green masses and floating array of doors. I sighed to myself and began to fly around aimlessly. I hand no idea what I was looking for, where I would end up, or what I was even hoping to find along the way. I just kept moving and spaced out along the way. I think I passed a few ghosts I knew but it's hard to say considering how lost in my own mind I was. What's it matter anyway?

I must've been flying around for hours before I realized just how hungry I was and decided to stop and look around. It wasn't surprising that I was in an unfamiliar part of the ghost zone. It seemed utterly empty, void of anything, even doors. "Where am I?" Before I could think of an answer to my own question, a portal formed in front of me. "What's this supposed to be? Some kind of sign?" I scrutinized the portal for a moment before I decided to check it out. What harm can it do? If I'm lucky, I'll end up in a time before all this happened. I flew through the portal with that impossible dream driving me.

It was a city, and a big one at that. Amity Park shrank in my eyes as I looked at all the buildings that surrounded me. They towered over me even though I was floating 60 feet up. I flew around to get my bearings, careful not to attract attention. The last thing I needed was another city to hate me. It was still pretty dark, probably early morning by the looks of it.

I landed on a dimly lit street and quickly found a newspaper stand. I guess hoping like that was kinda stupid of me. I lifted yesterday's paper to my eyes unenthusiastically. "Jump City huh?"

"Hey, kid! You buyin it or what?"

I placed the paper back down. "Uh sorry no…. just wanted to check the date." He gave me a grumpy glare as he shooed me away. That name….. seems familiar, where have I heard that name before? I then finally noticed the high traffic on the roads. It had to have been around 2 am, so what's with all the people? Better yet, why are they all in costumes? "I guess I blend…"

I followed a few of them and ran into a crowd just as I turned the corner. This large building was lit up like a Christmas tree…. Sort of makes me wonder how I missed it from the sky. People in costumes numbered in the hundreds. "What's going on?"

"You didn't hear?" I turned to a guy dressed in a tight fitting blue suit and red cape.

"Hear what?"

"Some jerk named Gizmo hijacked the midnight concert! Though I guess it's more like 1 am concert because of the delay."

Gizmo? He some kind of thief or something? "So he hijacked it? By the way, what's this event?"

The guy looked at me like I had just grown another head. "It's the super con. Ya'know the one that changes cities every year? It frequents a different hero city every year…. If you didn't know that, why are you dressed like Phantom?"

I guess that was a bit of a suspicious question to say the least….. let's see excuses…. "I just saw the crowd and felt like joining in?"

He scrutinized me for a minute but seemed to buy it. "Well whatever, that guy in there doing it has to be crazy to get the attention off-" I didn't bother waiting for him to finish. I may not be from this town but I can certainly do something to help. I flew off invisibly to the stage where some crazy guy on metal spider legs was taking over the equipment.

"Everyone ready for my concert debut!" He had the controls laid out in front of him and…. Connected to a game console? Okay, filing that one under weird. Alright, now to catch him without causing a scene… duh possession. I flew right into him and had control in seconds flat. This guy was seriously crazed up with hardware…. He and Technus would probably get along.

I then stopped whatever he was doing with the equipment and searched out the closest police officer. The place was crawling with them but I'm thinking they were probably here as event security to begin with. I made him run up to one named Dowell who seemed very disarmed by my sudden approach. "Excuse me officer, but I'm ready to go to jail now." I laid his hands out in front of him in a submissive pose.

The man's initial shock was quickly forgotten as he cuffed him and had his hands behind his back in less than a minute. That was my queue to leave and I phased right out of him. I watched him invisibly from the air as he regained his senses and immediately started to struggle out of his restraints. "Hey what's the big idea! How'd I end up here!? Let me go you crud muchin blue-"

They now had him in the car and I felt a bit better about myself for a moment. That is, until I suddenly remembered what I had stashed at the back of my mind… Can't forget about it forever can I? I left the scene quickly and landed on the roof of the convention center. I gazed up at the moon as I lost myself in my thoughts.

* * *

No one's pov

The officers were having a field day trying to explain to Robin, who just arrived with the Titans, what Gizmo had done. "It was weird. He was up on stage about to something with the equipment when of a sudden he stopped and walked right over to me. He held out his hands and told me to take him to jail. Then we're getting him in the car and he suddenly goes wild."

Robin rubbed his chin in thought. "Any ideas Cyborg… Cyborg?"

He turned to see Cyborg ogling some of the tech on stage. "Man some of this stuff is sweet!"

He then turned to Robin who was giving him an agitated glare. "Hey man chill. I got you covered." He pulled up a video in the screen of his arm. "One of the fans in the crowed gave me a video feed." Robin's expression calmed a bit as he moved over to view it. They watched as Gizmo tore at the machinery and began to rewire it when all of a sudden he stops.

"There…. What happened?"

"Beats me… looks like he just… I don't know snapped maybe?" They continued the video until he started to struggle again.

"And what about this?"

"He realized what he was doing?" Cyborg scratched at his head in confusion. "I don't think I've ever seen him act this way….. ever."

They both turned to Raven who had tapped Cyborg on the shoulder. "I took a look inside his mind. Whatever came over him, he doesn't remember it. There's a time gap."

Robin looked back to the video screen of Cyborg's arm. "What could it have been?"

"Yo, dudes!" They all turned to see Beast Boy with a gaggle of fan boys dressed familiarly. "I found the Teen Titans!" Robin shook his head and looked back to the video. Raven on the other hand glared at him. "Come on this is cool! They even got you right, Raven!" Raven was not amused one bit by the young man dressed as her. He had the scowl right but the rest of it was what bugged her.

Her look became bemused as she pointed behind him. "They got you right too."

Beast Boy turned to see a little kid dressed as a monkey and picking his nose. "WHAT!?"

Her attention was redirected by Starfire, who was flying down to them. "I did not find any of the other Hive Five, nor did I see anything unusual."

"Alright, good work, Starfire." She beamed as she set down and clasped Robin's arm.

"Uh Star… now isn't…"

Raven pulled at her arm. "Starfire…. Are you sure you didn't see anything odd?"

The Tamaranean seemed confused by this. "No."

Raven found her eyes being pulled towards the roof of the arena. "I'm going to check something out then." The other 3 seemed confused but Robin nodded all the same.

"Call if you find something. I'm going to look over the crime scene a bit more." Raven nodded and floated into the sky.

She was quick to fly over the arena roof where she seemed to spot something. She only saw it for a moment, but it seemed to be a slightly glowing aura and a pair of green eyes. "What the…." It was gone in a flash just as a patch of shade from the clouds blocked out the moon light. "Where?" She flew over to where the figure was but she couldn't see anything.

She looked around a bit more before she felt something. She had brushed against someone's mind, but she couldn't tell who's it was. She held her head as the flash of foreign memories fell over her. "Who are you?!" The images faded and the only one she seemed to remember at all was of a young darkly dressed girl. "Sam?..." She then tried to get a fix on it again but it was gone now.

Her hands left her forehead and she turned back to the stage. "Whatever that was, it might be related to Gizmo's behavior." She flew back over to her team and explained what happened.

"So this Sam person was all you were able to get?"

"It was a memory I think so I doubt it was her, but maybe someone who knows her?"

Robin took a moment to think about it. "Well it's more than we got from the scene. I guess we should try to figure out who this person is."

"Yeah, but who's up for donuts first!? Big Al's donuts is having a hero special!" Cyborg was practically drooling by this point and Beast Boy jumped at the idea.

"Yeah! Nothing says 2 am like fresh baked donuts!"

Raven heckled him in her standard monotone voice. "And I suppose sleeping never really comes to mind."

He ignored it in favor of joining Cyborg in his puppy dog eyes at Robin. He quickly broke under the pressure as Starfire joined in. "Alright fine…. I guess we can put the search on hold for a bit." The 3 of them jumped for joy and ran off behind Cyborg.

"Come on, Raven." He followed behind them and Raven took one more looked up to the roof of the arena before doing the same.

* * *

Danny's POV

That girl….. geez of all the people to look like! All I wanted to do was relax a bit and sulk on the roof of the arena….. but then she came. She looked so much like her… at least from afar. I know they're not the same but … I rubbed my fingers through my hair. "What's wrong with me… Sure they have similar features but you'd have to be blind to get them confused!"

I sighed and looked back down to the arena. I then noticed something I recognized. "Wait….." I pulled out that coupon that Clockwork gave me and studied it carefully. "You're kidding…." I took glances back and forth to make sure I wasn't crazy. "Figures…" Clockwork is crazy. He gave me coupon to a donut place he knew I would eventually come across…. Question is why?

I flew down invisibly to a curtained off area nearby and reappeared. Clockwork does things for a reason, so maybe he's trying to tell me something's going to happen if I go in there. I walked out nonchalantly from the changing room I was apparently in and headed over to the shop. I figured being in Phantom form would help me blend more considering there are more costumes than normal cloths here.

I opened the door and immediately found the line due to the fact it was backed up to the door. "Whoa…."

"Yeah, but this is to be expected when he gives half off donuts to anyone with a legit costume." The guy in front of me who spoke was dressed as some kind of super duck character. The man looked me over and then gave me a smirk. "Nice Phantom outfit, but you're too scrawny to be the real thing."

Danny raised his brow at that. "Well at least I'm not trying to be a duck."

"I'm Duck Dodgers nerd. Besides, it's not like I could become an actual duck." He then turned back around in line and proceeded to ignore me. Great even fans don't think I'm really him…. I can bench press a bus, but I'm sorry I don't look like it! I crossed my arms as I looked around the shop. Who or what could've made Clockwork want to bring me here for?

As I scanned the crowd I felt someone bump into me from behind. "Oh sorry dude!" I turned to see a shorter green kid with pointed ears. He really went the extra mile on his costume huh? "Dude?" He had waved his hand in my face as I spaced out.

"Oh, sorry…. It's okay, it is kind of cramped in here." I gestured to the huge line in front of me.

His ears seemed to droop as he saw it. "Aww man! I was hoping for the special hero's double dozen!" I then noticed a larger guy who seemed to be half robot walk in… or squeeze in. The door seemed pretty hard to get open at this point.

"Yo, BB, did you even get a ticket?" The green teen looked up at him in confusion. "Like this." The robot guy wiped out a small ticket that looked a lot like mine. "The special goes to the winning ticket BB."

"But you'll share if you win right?!" He seemed to beg like a dog at the larger guys heels.

"Of course. I'll take on dozen and ya'll can have the rest."

The green one seemed to tear up for a minute in heart break but sighed in defeat. "No fair…."

He gave BB a pompous smirk. "Should have got a ticket."

"ALRIGHT! Heroes of all ages! It's time to do the Hero's special prize drawing! Everyone get out your tickets!" A large man, whom I could only assume was Big Al, came running past the line ringing a bell. I decided to listen and pulled the ticket back out. I hadn't noticed the prize number on the back until now. "Everybody ready!? Okay!" He pulled out a jar on from the counter and shoved his hand into it. After a moment of shuffling through the paper a he pulled out the winner. "X5623!" He looked around at the crowd and repeated it. "X5623!"

I decided to check my number too as I noticed the rush of disappointed faces. "X5623….."

"Dude, you won!" The green guy who was behind me had looked over my shoulder at the ticket.

"I-I did?" I looked it over again. "Whoa… I did!"

"What's that?" Big Al dashed over to me and snatched the ticket from my hand. "Well would you look at that, he's a winner!" After waving it in the air he turned back to me. "Now kid, who are you supposed to be? You have to be dressed as a real published hero to win." He looked over my costume in curiosity. "Well?"

I guess I just go with it then…. After all, I am a real hero. "Danny Phantom."

He turned to the counter and seemed to wait for confirmation before a shout was heard. "He's clear!" "Alright then Phantom is our winner tonight!" He grabbed my arm and jerked me over to the counter where he shoved four boxes of randomized donuts in my arms. "Here you go kid! Alright everybody, be sure to come back tomorrow night cause I'm going to be drawing 1 lucky winner every night during the Super Con! Same time same place!"

Around 2/3rds of the crowd cleared as he turned and made his way behind the counter. 2 am has got to be the weirdest donut special I've ever heard of. I looked over the boxes and felt my stomach growl. I may be hungry…. But I'm not this hungry.

I then noticed the 2 from earlier only they were joined by 2 more. The green one named BB seemed to be almost sobbing next to the metal man. The other 2 seemed to be trying to cheer him up. The boy in the cape and mask seemed more frustrated than sympathetic though and the girl was just patting him on the head. I then looked back over the pile of fried doe and strode over to them. "Want to share?"

I got puzzled looks from three of them but the green one looked completely shocked. "REALLY!?"

"Y-yeah, I really don't think I can eat 2 dozen donuts myself."

The one in the mask seemed skeptical at first before he graciously accepted. "Sounds good to me." He let out his hand. "Robin." I balanced the boxes on one hand and shook his with the other.

"Danny."

"Alright come on already!" BB seemed to have already found a table big enough. I shuffled over and set the boxes on the table. I sat down and the others quickly joined me.

"So, Danny, you here by yourself? I always thought people came to these things in groups." Robin had opened a box and began on one of the donuts.

"Actually, I sort of ended up here by accident to be honest. A friend of mine gave me the ticket."

BB who had just horked down 3 donuts at once responded. "Your friend rocks!"

"Yes, I wish to thank you and your friend for these lovely, round sugary nuts of dough." They seemed to me like they were a pretty fun bunch. Maybe Clockwork was trying to distract me by introducing me to new people…..

"Are you okay, man?" The robot guy seemed to have a worried expression as he was about to eat another donut.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I quickly grabbed a donut of my own. At the rate they were eating them, their wouldn't be much left if I waited too much longer.

"Hey, anybody seen Raven?" The green one enquired as he gazed around the shop with a doughnut in his mouth.

"Over here!" A girl was trying to get through the, now crowded once again, door.

"Come, Raven! Our new friend has shared with us his prize of fried dough!" The minute I saw her face, images of Sam flooded back to me. It was that girl I saw floating above me on the roof of the stadium. What was she doing here?! My mind raced and I felt there was only one thing I could do to stop it, so I went invisible.


	2. Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin and the team stumble on some interesting information regarding Danny.

**No one's pov**

Robin turned back to the boy to introduce him to Raven but he had disappeared. "Raven, this is….. Where'd he go?"

Beast Boy looked up from his donuts and began looking around. "Don't know…." He turned into a dog and began sniffing around.

Cyborg seemed a bit confused by the whole thing. "Why'd he leave?"

"I do not know but it is most disappointing."

Raven, who seemed a bit distraught, had finally made it to the table to see everyone looking around. "What's wrong?"

"We were just with someone. His name was Danny and he shared his donuts with us." Robin got up from the table and went over to the glass entrance to see outside.

Beast Boy changed back with a frown. "His scent just ends here….. it's weird."

Raven looked around. "What did he look like?"

Cyborg scratched his head. "I think he was dressed up like someone called Phantom?"

"Actually he's Danny Phantom." Beast Boy corrected.

Cyborg gave him a bit of an annoyed stare before looking him up in his computer. "Well let's see here….. got 'em." He took a minute to go over the information before he gave Robin a chance to see. "Danny Phantom is the resident ghost Hero of a town called Amity Park. I got a picture right here." He showed Robin and then the others.

"Whoa….. he really went the extra mile on his costume."

"If I didn't know any better he could be the real thing." Robin rubbed his chin a bit before noticing the expression on Raven. "What's wrong, Raven?"

She was looking around a bit more as she answered. "It was right after you called for me…. I felt it again only this time it was clearer. Whoever it was I saw before, they were here just now." She then turned to the screen display of Cyborgs arm. "And they had glowing green eyes like him."

The titans remained silent a moment as if trying to think what she said over. "So…. ?" Beast Boy, the ever slow one, didn't have clue as to what was going on. "Are these two connected?"

Robin turned back to the screen showing the picture. "Or maybe it was just one of the lookalike fans walking around?"

Beast Boy scratched his head. "So what? Are we going to go around asking any guy dressed as Danny Phantom if he was sitting on top of the convention center?"

Cyborg gave him a confused look. "Yeah, actually."

"It's the only lead we have aside from the girl. Alright Titans, let's split up and search." Cyborg and Beast Boy quickly scarf up the donuts and exit just behind their fellow Titans. Raven, Starfire and Beast Boy take flight to look through the air while Cyborg and Robin looked on foot. As the morning came the crowd had thinned quite a great deal but all they found were a bunch of geeks in costumes. Any cosplayer they found was quickly looked over by Raven who confirmed they were not who they were looking for.

They joined up again near the stage where Gizmo had attacked to trade information. "I found like 6 guys dressed up like him but none of them had green eyes." Beast Boy crossed his arms in frustration.

Robin sighed in defeat. "We've been looking for hours, but your right, none of the guys we found had the glowing green eyes we were looking for."

Cyborg yawned as he listened and responded. "Tell me about it. The only guy who fit the bill was the Danny we met at the Donut shop."

Robin's eyes widened at the statement and his own realization. "You're right! He's also the only one we haven't found."

Cyborg gave him a skeptical look. "So you think he's the one Raven saw? That he's somehow connected to Gizmo's odd behavior?"

Robin furrowed his brow in thought. "Maybe, I mean just think about. He said he was here by accident and alone. I for one find that odd considering this event"

Cyborg nodded. "Yeah, but people do come to these things alone every now and then; that doesn't make it a crime."

"But that is suspicious. I'm not saying he's our guy but he is a suspect."

Cyborg sighed. "Alright, so how do we find him? He kind of disappeared on us."

Robin turned to Beast Boy. "Think you can try his scent again?"

"I guess I can try." BB morphed into a blood hound and began sniffing around. His head bobbed left and right as he shifted through the crowd; the others just behind him.

"So why do you think our friend left so suddenly?"

Robin watched Beast Boy like a hawk. "If my hunch is right, it was because of Raven. She's an empath and I think that first time she saw him gave her a glimpse at his emotions… maybe a memory connected to them."

Cyborg raised a brow. "So when he saw her again.."

"He left immediately. He probably didn't want it to happen again."

Raven interrupted them. "But it did happen again. I felt his emotions and they were dark."

Robin turned to her. "Dark how?"

"He might be depressed. He seemed upset the first time I saw him."

Robin took a moment to think it over. "Cyborg. Think you can do a bit of digging on the girl?"

"Sure but, I'll have better luck back at the tower." He nodded and called down Starfire. She grabbed Cyborg and flew him out of the crowd to save him some time. Upon her return it seemed Beast Boy had locked onto something. He barked and began to move faster through the crowd.

"Looks like he's got something!" They followed the green K-9 until they came upon an area full of couches where fans were either sleeping or lounging about. "So he's around here." They all looked around and BB kept his nose to the ground trying to pinpoint the smell. "Beast Boy!"

He transformed back to normal and shook his head. "Lost 'em. He was here not too long ago, maybe a few minutes."

Robin walked over to a small group of fan boys. "Did any of you see a guy dressed as Danny Phantom recently?"

The one dressed as a Green Lantern was quick to respond. "Yeah, there was one on the bench just over there. He just sat there quietly and kept to himself. When I got here 15 minutes ago I immediately noticed him because of how great his costume was, but he didn't answer me when I called out to him."

Robin turned to the others. "You were right, Beast Boy." He turned back to the fan. "Did you see which way he went?"

He pointed to his left. "He seemed to be heading off to the artist tables that way, but I'm not completely sure."

"Thanks." Robin then motioned for the rest of the Titans to follow and he made his way to the artist tables. A kid had stopped them to get a picture but he turned him away and continued forward. They shuffled through the walls of fan art and the geeks who make them. "If he's dressed as him, he's probably a fan, so we should look for a table that sells Danny Phantom stuff."

The Titans asked a few tables and were directed to one that had a big fan club banner on it. Robin took a minute to look over the spread which contained art, fictions and even a comic book series. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, we're looking for someone dressed as this character here."

She gave a confused look. "There's at least a dozen of them walking around."

"No I mean one that looks like the real McCoy. He's got the green eyes."

She took a minute to think. "Well, I don't think I've seen one yet with the neon green eyes of Phantom."

"I did!" Another girl who was sifting through a box behind the table spoke up. She was dressed as phantom as well but with a more feminized costume. "He was here only a few minutes ago. I spotted him and tried to wave him over, but when he looked at me it's like he was bit freaked out. He then disappeared in the crowd."

The communicator beeped and Robin answered. "Got anything, Cyborg?"

"You can say that. I didn't have to dig very deep to find out about her after I connected her to Phantom. She was front page news in Amity Park around a week ago."

The fan girl over heard and instantly knew what he was talking about. "Are you referring to the explosion?"

Robin looked at her and then to Cyborg. "Explosion?"

"Yeah, some restaurant exploded and the girl, Sam Manson, along with several others died in it."

"So what does this have to do with our Phantom look alike?" Beast Boy was as lost as ever.

"What do you think, Cyborg?"

He was silent a moment as he looked through his computer. "Well it says here there was a survivor, but he was moved to Wisconsin to live with a family friend….. Whoa Vlad Masters. Talk about being connected."

Robin raised his brow. "What was his name?"

"Daniel Fenton. It says his whole family was killed in the explosion, tough break….." He seemed a bit depressed just reading the news.

"The club president said something about that I think." Robin's interest was peeked and he waited for her to continue. "She lives in Amity Park, and actually knew him. She told me about how his friends and family were caught up in the explosion and he was found in the ruble about 20 feet from the building."

The other girl joined in. "Based on some of the destruction, the city thinks that Phantom had something to do with it too, but that's pretty standard for them." The girls seemed a bit frustrated about the fact that the authorities didn't like their hero. Robin was deep in thought as Starfire took this moment to get a better look at all of the goods on the counter.

"Yo, dude…. He's got a comic book!" Starfire, who was looking at the T-shirts moved over to look with Beast Boy. "Check out the creepy shadow he's fighting." He pointed to a rather ominous shadow ghost depicted in the comic.

"Come on, Beast Boy, let's go." Robin looked back to Cyborg on the communicator. "Anything else?"

"Well aside from that there's a column about a drop in ghost sightings, but how much stock do you put in that?"

"I wonder what it is about Raven that he does not like."

Starfire's question was quickly followed by a sarcastic quip from Beast Boy. "You have got to be kidding me! Her glare could scare the dead!" Raven turned to him with that very glare, shutting him up in the process. "EEP!"

"Whatever his problem is, we need to find him if it's got anything to do with Gizmo."

Beast Boy, regaining his speech, spoke up. "Why are we looking for him anyway? Did he really do something wrong?"

Robin turned to Beast Boy as they continued on. "Well no, but I like to hit all my bases when I investigate something, and odd forced behavior is definitely something to look into. If it turns out he had nothing to do with it, I'm good with just letting him go."

"Well, I think he's cool. After all, how evil can you be if you share donuts?"

Robin turned to Cyborg. "Keep me posted on anything weird." With that the screen flicked off and he stashed it back on his belt.

After a few minutes Raven froze and raised her hands to her head. "What's wrong, Raven?"

"I feel him again. He's close."

Robin motioned to the others. "Titans split up."

Raven continued to try and feel him out with her mind and it led her up. She looked around a bit and found a door leading to the roof, though it was blocked off. She pulled up her hood and decided to levitate up and through the ceiling, making a bit of a spectacle of herself in doing so. When she arrived on the roof it was very quiet aside from the low roar of the crowd below. A quick scan of the roof top and her gaze fell on a lone figure.

He didn't seem to notice her presence at all so she levitated to being just behind him. He sat on the ledge with his head resting on his hand. "It's pretty dangerous to be sitting up here."

He flinched a bit at her voice but didn't move. "I'll take my chances."

She pulled out her communicator and called Robin. "I found him, Robin, he's on the roof."

"Stay put, I'm on my way."

Danny turned and was shocked when he saw her. "Did you say Robin….! Y-you!"

Raven gave him an annoyed glare. "Yeah me…. Is there a problem?"

Danny turned back to face away from her. "…..No…. It's not you…. Sorry."

"I look like her right?"

Danny flinched once again in surprise but didn't turn to her. "L-like who?"

"That girl you were thinking of. I'm empathic, so I can read people's emotions… and thoughts." Danny remained silent. She floated around in front of him which gave him a bit of a start.

"What the…."

"What are you doing up here?"

Danny stood up and turned away from her again. "I just wanted to be alone."

Raven raised a brow at that. "Then why come here with all these people?"

"It was… an accident."

"How do you accidentally end up in a large comic convention?"

Danny finally turned to face her. "It's kind of complicated.."

"Enlighten us." They both turned to see Robin enter from the stairway.

"Robin?"

"Yes. We've been looking for you. Why is it that you've come all the way from Amity Park to here?"

Raven seemed confused by that question and Robin's sudden hostility. "What are you talking about?"

Robin walked over in a defensive manner. "I'm talking about him coming all this way after killing 6 people." Raven looked at Robin in astonishment and then to Danny who wore a face of sheer terror. "I know you're not just another guy in a costume, but the real thing. I saw the police reports, Phantom, I know what you did!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear. Robin seems to have come to an interesting conclusion. I wonder how this is going to play out?=^-^=


	3. Wrong Conclusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Titans have an another close encounter with ghosts and Raven decides to investigate Danny directly.

**Raven's pov**

He fell to his knees and started to tremble at the accusation. I don't even know what to think about it. He just never struck me as the type to do this sort of thing…. He seemed far too kind hearted, though I hadn't had too much contact with him myself... it was just a feeling.

He seemed to be trying to respond but Robin spoke up before he could. "Why did you do it, Phantom!?" He walked up and grabbed him by the front of his suit. "Why did you destroy 6 lives and orphan a teenager?!"

Danny refused to look him in the eye but was able to respond now. "I-It was… an accident.."

Robin cut his eyes at him. "An Accident!? That's your excuse!?" He let him go and pulled out some hand cuffs. "Whatever you call it, you're going to pay for it." Danny eyed the cuffs warily as Robin placed them on his wrists.

He trembled more as he gazed at them, but then pulled them away from Robin. "NO!" His hands seemed to slip right out of them and he floated up. "Just leave me alone!" I was beginning to get a strong wave of emotions from him…. Like self-loathing.

Robin pulled out a quarter staff just as Danny was about to fly away. "Stop!" He launched at him with it but Danny easily dodged and Robin landed on the other side of him. He then jabbed at him with the staff but it seemed to harmlessly pass through.

I then felt the rage come off him as his hands started to glow. "Go away!" I concentrated my power quickly to bind him in a force field before he could attack Robin. He struggled to get out but to no avail. It seems my powers stop him from phasing.

He then tried to blast his way out but it got him nowhere. "Good work, Raven. We need to keep him contained so we can hand him over to the Amity Park police." I watched as he continued to struggle against the field, but I could still sense far more sadness than anger. Its almost looked like he was fighting himself in there.

* * *

**No one's pov**

Back at the tower Raven still had Danny contained in a force field of her magic. Robin was having a little trouble getting in contact with this GIW that the APPD referenced him to and so he sat in front of the monitor in frustration. "Ghost!? You've got to be kidding me!" Robin pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration in front of the monitor.

"Well, the report did say he was the 'ghost' hero of Amity Park." Cyborg's comment seemed to only build Robin's frustration further.

"We have seen weirder you know." Raven's dry tone did nothing to alleviate his distress.

Beast Boy was over by the bubble like force field containing Danny. "So if he's a ghost….. how are you keeping him here?"

"My powers must disrupt his phasing abilities." Raven responded without looking his way.

He started to poke at the field but Danny didn't respond. "Dude! Are you really a ghost?"

"I am confused….. do ghosts of your world require sustenance?" Starfire's question did cause Robin's interest to peek for a moment before the alarm sensors went off.

Robin started typing away at the keys and a map was pulled up of the city. "The museum has an intruder!" He turned to Raven. "Raven stays here to keep him contained. Everyone else is coming to check out the museum!" He quickly jumped into action with the remaining Titans and they were gone in minutes leaving Danny and Raven alone.

Raven was sitting on the couch attempting to read, but something was nagging at her mind. She turned to the boy who seemed far too interested in a random wall. "So your name is Danny right?" He gave her no response, not even a twitch. "Is it true? ….. What Robin found out about the accident?" Danny turned his head to her, but gave no verbal answer. Instead his eyes conveyed a feeling of guilt far too deep for a hero who screwed up.

She levitated off the couch and over to the bubble. Danny's gaze followed, but he still refused to say anything. "What really happened?... Why won't you say anything?"

Danny sighed and turned away. "Jack, Maddie and Jazz Fenton, Mr. Lancer, Tucker, and Sam…. They were the ones who died in the explosion….. right in front of me. I couldn't reach them in time."

Raven's expression seemed only more confused by the admission. "But…. Is that it?"

He shook his head. "They would have never been in that situation if it weren't… it's my fault…. All of it." His form came together as he clutched his knees. Raven stood there a moment watching him breakdown into an emotional mess and decided on something much unexpected. She dissipated the energy field around him and he hit the floor.

He looked at her with his reddened eyes in complete confusion. "What….?"

She kneeled next to him and placed a hand on his forehead. "Let me see exactly what happened."

Danny's expression turned fearful and he backed away. "No!"

She used her powers to keep him still. "I think there's more to this than that or what Robin found out. The way you're acting is contradicting both explanations." He was far too guilty for just not getting there in time; he had to have had a bigger part in it. She knew this and she delved into his mind.

* * *

The thoughts were scattered at first before she could make out faces and a few scattered words. "The answers to the C.A.T.'s?" The scene there was blurred and the next one came. She could make out the girl's face.

Sam was in the room and so was another boy. "You mean cheat…."

"I didn't say cheat." Once again the scattered memories slipped and a new scene was displayed before her.

They were in an eerie place full of gears. "I have been charged with the task of eliminating your future so that never happens." The young being pointed to a window that displayed a vicious Future Danny destroying things.

"What is this?" Raven couldn't help wondering about this sequence of memories and how they connect.

They then flash forward to a grim scene of 6 people being tied to an unstable vat and he was facing down Dark Danny. "I'm still here! I still exist! That means you still turn into me!" The waves of memories continued until Danny tried to make it back in time to save them only to be blown back by the shock wave.

Raven found herself being shocked out of his thoughts as she stumbled backwards. Danny was freed from the magic binds and he floated over to her. "Are you….. okay?" She was holding her head as she nodded. "I'm sorry…." With that he flew off before she could capture him again.

She looked up to him too late as he had already phased through the roof before she knew it. "It wasn't your fault…"

* * *

Back in the museum the Titan's had just found their intruders, but things weren't looking good. They were fighting some group of phantasms. They were grey and translucent, with torn, hooded cloth around their upper body, and only a wispy tail as their lower. "What are these things?!" Beast Boy was freaking as he turned into bird to fly away from them.

Robin tried for what could have been the millionth time to hit them, but all of his attacks went straight through. "Whatever they are, I can't touch them!"

Cyborg was unsuccessfully trying to blast them with his sonic cannon. "Can't even blast 'em!"

"Perhaps we should call Raven for some assistance!?" Starfire was being chased by 3 of them and her star bolts had no effect.

Robin, who was hammering away at them in vain with a quarter staff, felt himself sigh in exasperation. "We need her to watch Phantom. Her powers were the only thing that could stop him!" It was then that his communicator went off. "Raven?"

"Robin… he escaped."

Robin's initial anger was snuffed out by his re-acquaintance to their dire situation. "It's alright, just get here! We need your powers!"

* * *

Danny was flying about the city half in a daze as the sun set high in the sky. He found himself looking at the people below with envy and a bit of wanting. To be so oblivious must be nice. He had left that great tower and found that they must have been the heroes that protected this city. "I wish I could've protected my city…."

He flew a bit lower and snaked around a few buildings while trying to stay out of sight. He had been looking around for all of 15 minutes before his ghost sense went off but it felt different to him somehow. He didn't really know what it was but it was….. off.

He gazed down and his eyes fell on what looked to be a museum. "Is that the same one?" Danny took a good look around and was able to see several cop cars around it and the area was cordoned off. "Survey says yes…" He floated there for a moment, mulling over whether to help or not before his conscience won out. "If there are ghosts in there…. They're going to need my help."

* * *

Robin was now backed into a corner, Cyborg was under several large exhibits, Starfire was now being harassed by 7 specters, and Beast Boy was collapsed on the ground. Robin couldn't do much to stop them from attacking aside from flail his staff at them and as they closed in he took a defensive stance.

They were stopped cold, however, by a green energy barrier that appeared over him. "What the…?" Danny appeared before him and gave him a pathetic smirk of confidence. He then dispelled the barrier and blasted the small horde of ghosts across the room. "Phantom!" He next shot down the ones chasing after Starfire one by one with his ecto energy. "What are you doing!?"

He once again ignored him as he herded them into a group at the center of the room. Starfire flew down to check on Robin. "Robin, are you injured!? Please say that you are okay!" She held him close but Robin's attention remained on Danny. He was confused. Why would Danny be here in the first place? Why, after breaking free, would he come and help them out like this?

The herd of ghosts began to get antsy and then one of them began to screech sharply. Everyone who could, covered their ears. It wasn't long before more of the specters phased into the building and eventually doubled their numbers. This time they were all trained on Danny and he found himself surrounded. "Back up huh? Just great…" Danny blasted his way towards Robin and Starfire and took up a defensive line in front of them.

He turned to them for a moment to motion them to cover their ears. "Hurry!" He then turned to the ghosts and took in a large breath. The wail he unleashed shook the whole museum. Exhibits fell apart around them and even Beast Boy woke up from it, quickly clutching his ears in pain. The Specters got the brunt of it as they began deteriorating into smoke one after the other.

After a few minutes Danny could see that they were gone and he stopped. Raven chose this time to finally get to the scene to see Danny collapse to the ground unconscious. Both she and Robin were quick to move over to him though Robin cuffed him in seconds. Beast Boy shakily rose to his feet in a bit of confusion. "What was that?!" He then noticed Danny, who was the subject of speculation between Raven and Robin.

"Why did he come here?"

"I don't know…. He was just here all of a sudden." Robin sat back in frustration. This ghost was becoming more and more of an enigma with everything he did.

"Robin…" He turned to his girlfriend still pinching the bridge of his nose. "He saved our lives did he not?" He lifted his head and then turned it back to the unconscious Phantom.

He didn't say a word, but Starfire knew her words reached him. "Let's get Cyborg and move out."

* * *

Back at the tower they had Cyborg back in action and Danny in the medical wing. Cyborg was having every issue possible with the equipment since they first hooked him up. "Okay, I don't know about you but no pulse points to him being a ghost in my book." He was typing away at the sensors. "The only thing here to give any sign of life is the fact that he's breathing…. Which is weird too." He turned to see a puff of cold air escape his lips, something that's been happening since they left the museum.

Robin had taken up pacing back and forth through the room. "This makes no sense to me. He escaped from Raven and then finds and helps us…. How would he even know where we were? It's not like he would know where the museum was."

"How did he know we required assistance?"

Robin stopped at Starfire's question and looked questioningly to Danny. "How?"

"Beast Boy?" He turned to Raven who was looking over Beast Boy in another bed. He seemed listless and dazed.

"What's wrong, Raven?"

She turned to Robin with slight worry on her face. "I'm not sure, he's just acting weird…. Hasn't cracked a single joke since we got back." Robin began rubbing his chin with all of the conundrums he was faced with.

He turned back to Danny. "First Phantom now Beast Boy….. this isn't making sense."

"Actually I….." She trailed off as she looked back at him.

Robin looked at Raven with a raised brow. "What is it?"

Raven looked to Danny and then to Robin. "While he was here before…. I looked into his mind. I saw something….. it was the cause of the accident."

Robin became a bit apprehensive as he beckoned her to continue. "And? What was it?"

"It was a horrible looking ghost…. It's existence was inadvertently caused by something Danny did, it came back to insure its existence."

Robin turned to the still unconscious Danny with a look of surprise. "That could still fit….. The police report did say that he was engaging another ghost at the time. They must have thought that during the fight he caused the explosion….. but then how did it happen?"

"The other ghost… he tied them to some container of unstable chemicals. It went off before Danny could do anything about it."

"That could be why he never denied it being his fault…."

Cyborg then injected himself in the conversation. "He felt you had every right to blame him, but…. If that's the case he can't blame himself."

"My friends I believe he is waking up." They all turned to Starfire who was watching over a stirring Phantom. He sat up slowly rubbing his head a bit groggily. The realization that he was surrounded hit him quick enough but the moment he moved to get up Raven stopped him.

"Hold on."

Robin held out his hand as Raven forced him back into his sitting position. "I want to apologize for what I said."

Danny looked at him in utter bafflement. "What?"

"Raven filled me in on what really happened…. I should have looked into all the facts."

Danny then turned to her sharply in disbelief, which slowly faded into understanding. "You don't have anything to apologize for…. You were right, it was my fault."

"You should not blame yourself for the misdeeds of another." Danny was about to explode at that but then his ghost sense cut him off. The chill halted his voice a moment, but he quickly found it. "What the…?" He then started to search the room.

"What? That cold air thing?"

Danny gave Cyborg a interested nod. "Yeah…. Has it been happening long?"

"Yeah, since we left the museum." Danny's eyes grew wide as the realization hit him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another cliffhanger, wow. I know it seemed a bit off with Raven, but that's because she didn't tell Robin everything! The reason is explained later so bare with me k!=^-^=


	4. A Second Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Title says it all, really.

He scanned the room until he felt the chill run through him again. It was at that point his gaze fell upon the listless Beast Boy. He floated up and over to him without so much as an explanation to the others in the room. "What's wrong?" Robin followed him over to Beast Boy's bedside. "What happened?"

Danny didn't respond as he looked over the green teen. "Definitely…"

Raven joined the two. "An explanation would be nice."

Danny raised his brow to her and responded. "There's a ghost." Starfire gasped and the rest all gave him bewildered expressions. Danny didn't wait for any more questions as he made his hand intangible and reached into the young poly-morph.

"What are you doing!?" Robin immediately tried to stop him from what looked like harming his friend.

"Just give me a sec." And as he said, only seconds later he was he pulling his hand out only now it was clutching one of the foul specters that were terrorizing the museum.

Beast Boy twitched a few times before coming too, and was instantly repulsed by the ghost in Danny's hand. "Dude!"

Danny looked over the spirit as it flailed around in his hand. He then willed his hand to flare up with energy, destroying the ghost in a matter of seconds. He turned back to Robin who still looked as confused as the rest of them. "He was trying to possess your friend here."

"Dude, that thing was inside me!?" Beast Boy trembled as he gripped his arms.

"How did you know it was there?" Cyborg asked with intrigue.

"My ghost sense. It's the cold air you were seeing. It lets me know when there's a ghost nearby I'm not aware of."

Robin looked to the others and then back to Danny. "Sounds pretty helpful at least just now it was."

Danny laughed weakly. "Yeah, it helps when all you ever fight is other ghosts." Danny remained silent a moment but looked up when he didn't hear a response. "Robin?" They were frozen and silent. "What the…. Clockwork?"

He heard an old laugh as the time master appeared through a portal. "Good guess, though I did give you a great hint."

Danny sighed. "What are you doing here?"

"Just checking in on the results of my push."

Danny looked at him in frustration. "Yeah and what a great push that was…. Look I know you care but I really just want to be left alone."

Clockwork sighed and shook his head. "No, the last thing you need is to be alone. Half-ghost or not you're still human, and humans are social creatures. You've seen firsthand what solitude does to people like Plasmius."

Danny, realizing he was right, sighed again. "I get it….. what is it you want me to do?"

Clockwork shook his head again. "It's not what I want of you, but what you want of you. You may not want to admit it, but you want a second chance. You've been blaming yourself for the accident all this time; It's not what you need."

Danny looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Clockwork gestured to the Titans. "You need a second chance in doing what makes you, you. You're a hero, Daniel, regardless of your past. No one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes. It is as they say, 'Try again, fail again, fail better!'."

Danny found himself cracking a small smile and he looked down at his hands. "Maybe that's all anybody really needs…. A second chance."

Clockwork floated over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder as he transitioned to an old man. "Now I'm not saying you have to but maybe this is where your second chance is? My only request is that when they ask, you give them the answer you feel is right."

Danny looked up to the now small child. "Thanks, Clockwork….. for everything."

He beamed at the boy. "I'll come back to check on you. It feels good to come out of the lair every once in a while." With that the time master disappeared and the time stream once again moved forward. This transition went unnoticed to all, but Raven who seemed to have a vague suspicion that something just went on.

She warily gazed about the room as Robin continued to talk with Danny. "Ghosts huh?"

"That' right. I read about that when I was doing all the research. Amity Park is now the most haunted town in America."

Danny chuckled. "Was the most haunted town in America."

Robin raised his brow at that. "What do you mean by that?"

"I shut down the portal that most of the more powerful ghosts were coming through. Without that, the weaker ghosts don't even bother trying aside from one pesky spook, which I got rid of before ending up here." Raven stopped her paranoid sweep of the room in favor of analyzing Danny's sudden change in mood. All of those dark feelings appeared to have let up quite a bit and he seemed to be even smiling a bit.

Beast Boy got up. "Well thanks for getting that ghost out of me!"

Danny turned to him with a small smile. "You're welcome…. Uh… Beast Boy?"

"Yeah! That's me!"

Robin reached out his hand to Danny. "Well, I need to thank you as well. You came and helped us out of a jam even though I was going to turn you in to the GIW."

Danny rubbed the back of his neck in a bit of nervousness. "It's fine really, but you're welcome." The exchange was interrupted by Danny's stomach growling in frustration.

He blushed in response as a grin formed on Cyborg's face. "I think it's time for some grub!"

Robin turned to him. "Sounds good to me." He then turned back to Danny. "Join us for dinner?"

Danny was hesitant for a moment but another protest from his stomach answered for him. "S-sure."

* * *

They gathered in the living room where he was being contained by Raven earlier. Danny sat on the couch with Raven and Beast Boy. "Let's see what's on TV."

"Hey all you hero fans out there! We're coming to you live at the Super Con located in Jump City! Earlier today the town's heroes made an appearance and since then, the attendance has nearly doubled! The fans seemed to be beside themselves with hope of another appearance!" The screen then flickered to various scenes of the Titans all through the con.

"Well you guys seem to get good press. All the authority figures in my town ever seem to say about me is that I'm a menace." Danny watched with a dry expression.

"Why is it that you do not simply tell them of your good intentions?" Starfire inquired.

Danny crossed his arms as he continued to watch. "Because the city is run by a self-absorbed jerk. That and constant threat of ghosts invading kind upped the paranoia a bit, especially after it was invaded the first time."

"Being a hero isn't about the recognition."

Danny turned to Raven. "Yeah I know. If it was I'd have quit a long time ago trust me." Robin came over to the sofa and whispered something to Raven which made her eyes go wide.

"Alright y'all! It's time for my breakfast dinner bonanza!" Cyborg was standing on the counter using a spatula like a microphone.

Beast Boy jumped at that. "Food!" As he jumped over the sofa Robin stopped him to Whisper something to him like he did Raven. "Cool!" Robin shushed him before moving on to Starfire.

Danny simply watched in intrigue as the girl's eyes lit up in excitement. "That is most wonderful." She grabbed him into a hug and he heard Robin's back crack.

"Come and get it y'all!" The Titans gathered at the counter for the spread Cyborg laid out for them. "Coming, Phantom?" Cyborg held a plate in the air. Danny got up and walked over to the empty seat at the counter.

"Thanks, Cyborg."

"No problem!"

Danny picked up a slice of bacon and began to eat. "Hmmm? I would have never pegged you as a health nut."

Cyborg turned to him in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Dude! You gave me real bacon!" Beast Boy waved the meat at Cyborg in agitation.

"Oh… were you suppose to get the tofu bacon?" Danny asked as he looked over to him.

Cyborg looked at Danny sheepishly. "Sorry about that, seems I switched your plates." He then swiftly swapped their dishes and started on his own. Danny shrugged at the gesture and finished the piece of tofu bacon in his hand. "I'm surprised you can eat that stuff." Cyborg seemed a bit disgusted at the idea of tofu replacing meat.

"Come on, its delicious." Beast Boy whined at the metal man.

"Maybe for a green bean."

"Hey I heard that, tin man! Tofu is way better than normal meat!"

"On what planet, greenie weenie!?" Danny found himself laughing at the familiar argument.

Raven seemed happy at his display of emotion. "What so funny?"

"This argument. I had a friend who was a vegetarian. She would always argue with my other friend about how being a vegetarian was better for you."

"Explains how you can tolerate a lie like that." Cyborg gestured to Beast Boy's plate.

Danny nodded but gestured to the bacon before him. "Not that I don't prefer the real thing of course." Cyborg smiled grandly and continued on his plate.

* * *

After they ate the gang all collected on the couch minus Robin who had left the room. "I must ask you friend. Is it normal for ghosts to require sustenance?" Danny looked at the Tamereanen in understanding. "Well it's not like a ghost needs it, though I do…. I'm kind of a special case." Starfire gave him a confused look but shrugged and let it go.

The door was heard opening and the titans sitting on the couch immediately left leaving Danny a bit baffled. He turned and leaned over the couch to see them huddled in a group with Robin. "Uh…. Robin?" He looked up from the crowd of whispering teens and cleared his throat. This made the others spread apart and let him through. Danny floated over the couch and landed in front of Robin. "What's going on?"

Robin stood and responded with his hands behind his back. "Me and the other titans were talking. We decided that given your situation that we should invite you to be a Titan." He whipped out a communicator from his back and handed it to Danny. "You said your town no longer had a ghost problem, so we figured you might want to settle here since we apparently do."

Danny looked at the object in amazement, barely able to answer. "Wait… what?... You want me?...I-I….."

"Come on, dude, it'll be awesome!"

"Yes friend! You are a most welcome addition to the team." Unlike the other two Cyborg and Raven simply gave approving nods as the halfa looked at each one of them.

"We really could use your help. I believe you'll make a great Titan."

Danny looked to them and then to the communicator. "Robin…. I…. I don't know what to say…."

"Just say yes dude!" Beast Boy seemed to be jumping out of his shoes.

Danny hesitantly reached out and took the communicator. "Yes…." He looked around at them. "I'm honored to join you guys." He seemed nervous as he responded, with the subconscious rub to the back of his neck. "Looks like I found my second chance." He whispered that under his breath as he took in the adulation of the team.

"Booyah!"

"Most wonderful!"

"Aww yeah!"

Robin stretched out his hand again. "Welcome to the team." Danny took it happily with his other hand clutched around his new Titans communicator.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was especially fun because of Clockwork.=^-^=


	5. Unexpected Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny gets adjusted to his new home before it is rudely interrupted by an unwelcomed caller.

The first night was exciting because the Titans were welcoming their new member with a bang. Starfire had decided to serve one of her celebratory dishes of Tamaran. Danny sat at the table poking at the strange gelatin and wondering just what was floating inside. "I've seen weird food but….."

Cyborg cringed along with BB. "It's okay, man, we totally agree." Starfire beamed at him waiting to hear what he thought of her supposed homemade delight. Raven didn't seem all that spirited but she did wear a smile as she watched the young halfa begin to lighten up.

"So what do you think?" Robin was very keen on her opinion due to her empathic nature.

"He seems better than before."

"Let's just hope that keeps up. I want our newest member to feel welcome. I also need him in good shape if we're going to be having anymore issues with those ghosts."

Raven watched as Danny's face turned an interesting shade of green after ingesting a bit of the alien dessert. "I'm sure it'll work out." Robin raised a brow at her comment. "What?"

"Sorry I'm just not used to you being…. We'll so optimistic."

She looked a bit disappointed at Robin who raised his hands defensively. "I have a bit of insight, that's all." She then turned back and made a small smile at him. Robin watched the young sorceress in curiosity.

By morning all of the Titans were out cold. Robin and Raven had gone back to their rooms but Cyborg was passed out behind the couch, Danny and Beast Boy were sprawled out on the couch while Starfire was sleeping on the kitchen counter.

Robin was the first one up and went to check on the other party animals first thing. One step into the kitchen instantly revealed that they had continued long after he went to bed. "Must have missed out on something wild." He walked through the messy room and kneeled down by Cyborg. "Hey, Cyborg, wake up already."

Cyborg mumbled a bit before dosing back to sleep. "Its….early…." Robin furrowed his brow and stood up.

He leaned over the couch to see Danny and Beast Boy laying on opposite ends. He ignored the snoring Beast Boy in favor of the sleeping halfa. It intrigued him that his sleep seemed so natural. He watched the steady rise and fall of his chest and thought to himself. Danny then rolled over and instantly fell off the couch head first which snapped him awake immediately. "Whoa!" He was now rubbing the sore spot of his head which he landed on while slowly getting back up. "Beware the dangers of sleeping on a couch."

As he stretched he finally noticed Robin who was silently watching him with interest. He was startled a moment but recovered quickly. "…Morning?"

"Morning. You guys must have had one wild time after I left."

Danny yawned as he continued to stretch. "I'll tell you all about it as soon as I remember exactly what happened." Danny then floated up into the air nonchalantly and flew through the door. Robin watched him go as he remained deep in thought.

* * *

It had been about a week since Danny joined the team and Robin had already made a few key notes about Danny that confused him. The way he acted was rather natural aside from the mild depression he gave off from time to time. He also found that Danny slept like any other normal teenager. Sure he ate like one too, but it was just another thing that had him confused about their newest member. He watched him as he played Beast Boy in a video game.

"Something wrong, Robin?" Cyborg joined him at the table.

"Just thinking…."

Cyborg looked over to the two and reveled in Beast Boy's dismay at losing yet another round. "What's up?"

Robin leaned on one arm and began tapping at his chin with his fingers. "It's Phantom….. there's something off about him."

Cyborg raised his brow at him and looked back to Danny. "Well sure he's the weirdest ghost… probably the only ghost I've ever met, but what's wrong with that?"

Robin's eyes narrowed. "I think he's keeping something from us."

Cyborg sighed. "Everyone has secrets."

Raven was across the room reading, but also looking on to Robin and Cyborg out of the corner of her eye. "I knew he'd do this." She closed the book and headed over to the two. Robin noticed immediately and sat up. "You need to stop."

Robin looked over to Danny again. "It could be important."

"Yes it could be, but you need to let him make that decision."

He looked back at the sorceress. "Whatever it is could endanger the team."

Raven placed both her hands on the counter. "I promise you that it doesn't."

Robin's eyes widened. "So you know what it is?" She simply nodded.

"See now you have some confirmation. Just let it go, Robin. Besides, you'll ruin the surprise if you're paranoid about the whole thing."

Robin sighed in defeat. "Alright, if you're sure about it, then I'll trust your judgment."

Cyborg stood back up and stretched. "I'd rather enjoy his company than worry about what he's hiding. Guy's a lot of fun when he's not having one of his depressing episodes; especially when he convinced Dr. Light that his new mega light bulb had become sentient."

Robin chuckled at that. "Okay, that was pretty funny." Robin turned to Raven, who was watching Danny with a small smile on her face. He had an inkling of what it meant, but put that to the side for now. Starfire had just walked in and snuck over to the three of them without attracting the attention of the two gamers by the TV. "What's your status, Star?"

She giggled. "It has been finished. I even made the measurements to scale." She floated over to the boy wonder and snuggled up to him.

"So y'all ready?" Cyborg turned over to the screen. "Hey, BB, it's time to move!"

The changeling jumped up from the couch leaving Danny a bit confused. "It's about time! I was starting to get tired of getting my butt kicked at that game."

"Where are you going, Beast Boy?"

Cyborg motioned to the halfa. "Come on Danny, we've got something for ya!"

Danny flew over curiously and the other Titans led him down the hall. "What is it?"

"Just keep coming and you'll find out!" Cyborg led the group with a prominent smile.

Danny was starting to get a bit antsy as he was led down the hall. "Where are we going?"

Cyborg grabbed his arm and pulled him to the front of the pack. "We were coming to this room." He opened the doors and shoved him inside.

"And what room is this?"

Robin placed his hand on the wall and a light came on. "Your room."

The room was spacious with black walls and white trim, with one solid white line going through the center of the wall and wrapping around the room. There wasn't much in it aside from his bed which had sheets to match the walls, a book self, a closet, window and dresser.

Danny stepped further into the room in utter shock. "T-this is for me?"

Robin stepped forward. "Yeah, we figured if you were joining the team, you needed a place to sleep other than the sofa."

Cyborg then cleared his throat. "And that's not all!" He flipped a switch above the lights and the lights dimmed. A star map appeared across the ceiling. "When Beast Boy said you liked to make space references it immediately made sense why you liked to be on the roof at night. I rigged the ceiling into a holo-map of the entire sector. Starfire helped me with the actual map but I made it do this!" He moved his hand over the pad. "You can zoom in or out of certain areas with this control pad over here."

Danny looked at it in awe. "This is amazing!"

Robin's communicator went off before he could further show it off. "Robin here….. oh!" Robin left them to their own thoughts for minute. They traded confused glances and shrugged at each other. Robin came back in while he was closing his communicator. "That was an old contact of mine. I was having him do some research on the gem that was stolen from the museum last week."

Cyborg crossed his arms. "What'd he find?"

"He said it was called an Oraxces (or-ax-seas) Crystal. Not much is really known about it, but he's sending me the data he could find." He turned to Raven. "Know anything about it?"

"Not really. I know it's used for a certain kind of summoning, but that's it. I'll see if there's anything in one of my books."

Robin then noticed Danny who seemed to be deep in thought. "What's up?"

Danny scratched his head. "That name….. it sounds really familiar. I know I've heard it before."

Robin raised a brow at that. "Really?"

"Yeah I just can't remember where I heard it….." Danny sighed. "Sorry."

"It's fine. Cyborg, you and I are going to go over the data while Raven looks through her books."

And then it was just the 3 of them. Beast boy scratched his head in thought. "You guys up for…. Combat practice?"

Danny crossed his arms and gave him a smirk. "You just don't want me beating you at that game again." Beast Boy smiled sheepishly and Starfire turned to the door.

"Then let us go, friends, it will be most fruitful."

* * *

Danny and Starfire decided to compete with their blast attacks while Beast Boy monitored from the outside. "All right! Ready, set, go!" Green flashes sparked in every direction as a flurry of blasts hailed the room. Beast Boy watched in awe. "Dude! I can't even tell what's going on!" The speed of the blasts only intensified as each round was cleared.

After 15 minutes of the barrage, the firing stopped and the doors opened. Both Danny and Starfire came out looking a bit out of breath and they traded competitive glances. "You're good with those Star bolts of yours."

"You are also good with the blasting of targets."

Beast Boy activated the score tally. "Alright it's time for the score!" Stats appeared on the screen above the keyboard. "First off, power… and Starfire dominates with a score of 93 over Danny's 75." Starfire jumped in excitement. "Next we have Accuracy!... And it looks like Danny takes home the prize for that one with an overwhelming 97 percent over Starfire's 81 percent!" Danny fist pumped at the announcement. "And now for the final state which is sure to break the tie! Speed!... And the winner is….. Starfire by a nose! She fired 63 shots a minute while Danny only fired 61!" Beast Boy went over and raised one of Starfire's hands up. "Our champion folks!"

"It was a wonderful challenge."

Danny held out a hand to her. "Good match, I look forward to a rematch." They exchanged competitive glares once again as they shook hands.

"Alright it's my turn!" Beast Boy began flexing his muscles. "Time for an obstacle course race with the Beast Man!"

Danny chuckled a bit at that. "Man? Wasn't it Beast Boy?"

Beast Boy smirked at him. "Let's let the challenge decide that!"

"Alright then, if you win I'll call you Beast Man from now on, but if you lose…." Danny took a moment to think over just what he would want. "How about you get my chores on the next clean-up day."

Beast Boy took a moment to think it over, but Danny's smirk seemed to win him over. "Deal!"

* * *

They were now outside at the obstacle course where Starfire was manning the controls. Danny and Beast Boy stepped up to the starting line and Starfire began stating the rules. "Okay, you must get through all 5 hoops in the order of which they come. Danny is unable to become intangible to even the playing field. First one to the end shall be victorious." She raised her hand. "And Begin!" She thrust down her arm and both Danny and Beast boy took off.

BB first took the form of a cheetah as he approached the laser turrets. He dodged them as acrobatically as any cat and made it through with relative ease. Danny blasted every one of them down in succession clearing through the first ring just after Beast Boy. The next stage had metal poles thrusting from the ground at random. Beast Boy morphed into a fox at first but then a falcon as he found his way to the second ring. Danny had a bit more trouble with this one without intangibility, having run into one near the end.

The third ring was through a series of crushers that were set for random intervals. Beast Boy seemed to fair well morphing from big to small between each crusher. Danny dodged through a few and destroyed the rest in an effort to make up his lost time. The fourth ring was high above the Tower and by the time Danny cleared the third one Beast Boy was already half way there in his Hummingbird form. Danny rocketed to full speed and with the added boost of his ghostly tail he was able to dash past Beast Boy just before he flew through the ring.

It was the final stretch and the final ring was back where they started. It was a speed dash to the end with Danny leading by at least a meter. As they passed through the final ring it was almost a photo finish due to Beast Boy's last minute antics of morphing into an Elephant and throwing the poor ghost boy off course a moment. "Alright who won!?" They called to the Tamaranean in unison.

She pulled up the stat charts to show each individuals strength. It showed Danny beat Beast Boy with speed and endurance over Beast boy's supreme maneuverability. It then displayed the image of Danny crossing through the hoop first. Danny turned to him with a cocky smile. "Hope you're ready for window duty, Beast Boy." The changeling grumbled in response.

"Hey y'all!" The three of them turned to see Cyborg heading their way.

"Hey Cy!"

He looked around at the several damaged pieces of equipment. "Looks like y'all were having fun."

Danny gave him a cocky smile. "Well I was at least, Beast Boy on the other had…"

"Alright I get it!"

Cyborg nudged over to the green teen with a smirk. "Aww, don't be a sore loser, BB."

Danny started to stretch a bit as he became a bit serious. "So how's the research coming?"

Cyborg rubbed his head. "Can't say we're getting much. It was referenced in a few ancient cults, but so far nothing substantial. Anyway, I didn't come out here to update you. Danny, you have a call waiting in the tower."

Danny looked a bit bewildered by that. "Who is it?"

"Don't know. He wouldn't give a name and I can't really tell who he is from the video feed but he said he just wanted to speak with you. He still has me wondering how he got our number."

* * *

Back inside the tower Cyborg led Danny into the living room where the call was up on the main video monitor. Robin was waiting just inside for Cyborg to return with him. The minute Danny noticed the red eyes on the screen he became apprehensive which was noticed by the others.

"Ah, Daniel, good to see you again. After you disappeared on me it was quite the ordeal to track you down again, but here you are."

Danny flew at the screen with anger in his eyes. "What do you want, Plasmius!?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What does the pompous halfa want with our newest Titan?=^-^=


	6. A Gift From Uncle Vlad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Again, the title says it all. Its not what you might think too.

The shadowed silhouette just laughed at the enraged teen. "Temper, temper, Daniel. My, you really should work on that. Besides, you should know full well why I'm contacting you, considering you're supposed to be **here**."

Danny scoffed at that and crossed his arms. "I've told you several times that I'd rather be hung on Skulker's wall. I thought I made that very clear." The teen spat with a glare.

Vlad sighed as his grin fell a bit. "Yes, painfully. You do realize you can't run away forever, dear boy?"

"I'm not. I'm just staying as far away from you as possible."

He simply chuckled in response. "Whatever you say. Well, feel free to be that way for now, at least until you realize how foolish it is. By the way, because I knew this is probably how you would react, I sent you something. Wouldn't want you to forget how the other half lives now would we?" He let out a pompous laugh as the screen flickered off.

"That guy sounds like a jerk."

Danny turned to Beast Boy. "You have no idea."

Robin gave him a serious expression. "Who was he?"

Danny turned back to the screen for a moment and then faced him. "He's a creep. He calls himself Vlad Plasmius and his hobbies include manipulation and self-satisfaction."

"Sounds like you have some history with him."

"More then I'd like. He's wanted me to join him for years and probably expected me to come crawling to him after what happened in Amity Park." Danny sighed. "Could you excuse me for a bit?" He didn't wait for an answer before flying and phasing through the ceiling.

Robin eyed the ceiling in anticipation of him coming back for a minute. "Just relax, Robin. You know he gets like that sometimes, just let him get it out of his system."

Robin turned to Cyborg who was trying to reassure him. "Fine."

* * *

Later that day Danny was sitting on the roof of the tower watching the sun set and the stars come out. "Why'd he have to call like that?" Danny sighed and then heard the door close to the roof. "What….?"

Raven walked over to the edge of the roof where he was sitting. "You've been up here for hours…. Are you okay?"

Danny held his forehead and brushed at his bangs. "Yeah…. Just frustrated."

"That guy, Plasmius, you shouldn't let him get to you."

Danny gave a weak laugh. "Easier said than done…. Especially with all the crap he's done."

Raven turned to him. "Then you shouldn't keep it to yourself. Talking can help."

"Believe me, you don't want to know."

"But I do know." Danny looked at her in confusion. "I was in your head, Danny, I saw you, and I saw him. I know what you are and that he is the same."

Danny hung his head and turned away. "Damn empath…. Guess you know me better than me now."

Raven gave a small smile to that. "No, but I saw enough. I saw you become a part of that monster and then do all you could to stop it….. Just like me."

Danny's head jerked up at that. "What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you, but not now. Just know that by myself, I couldn't do anything. You have us now, Danny, we're your friends." Danny looked up at the now brilliant stars and laughed. "What?"

"You sound like someone I know…."

Raven turned away from him. "Is it that girl?"

Danny turned to her. "Actually, you don't act much like her at all. You're quiet, sensible, and you don't express yourself much. No, you remind me of someone else…. Though maybe you wouldn't take it as much of a compliment if you knew who I was talking about."

Raven turned back to him. "Who?"

Danny gave her a smirk. "Maybe you'll meet him, but I'm not telling you now." Danny stood up and took a deep breath of the night air. "You're right….. talking does make me feel better, maybe Jazz knew what she was doing all along."

"So, what are you doing now?"

Danny stretched a bit. "I think I'll go talk to Robin. He's probably wearing a groove in the floor from pacing by now." Raven laughed a bit at that and Danny turned to face her. "What?"

"It's just that… you've only known him for a week and you're probably right." Danny then flew through the floor. "At least he's doing better." She jumped a bit when she saw him stick his head back up from the ground.

"By the way, Raven, did you know you're really cute when you laugh?" He phased right back down again leaving the no longer pale Raven to her thoughts once more.

* * *

"Hey, Robin, what happened to relaxing?" Cyborg was whining at him from the couch where he sat playing a game with BB. Robin was pacing back and forth through the living room waiting for Danny.

"Yes, Robin, you must relax. Perhaps we can relax with the time of being alone." Starfire flew up from the couch where she was watching the game.

"Yeah, Robin, maybe y'all should get a room!"

Robin couldn't help but blush as Starfire embraced him. "I still want to know more about this Plasmius guy before I do anything else."

"What did you want to know?" Robin turned to find Danny floating just behind him. "By the way am I…. interrupting?"

Robin turned to Starfire who was wrapped around him provocatively. "Uh… no… I… Uh, Star..?" She reluctantly withdrew at his request and he was able to compose himself.

Cyborg turned and leaned over the couch. "I wasn't expecting to see you till tomorrow. Why the record time?"

Danny rubbed the back of his neck. "I sort of had some help…. Anyway, you wanted to know about him right?"

Robin became serious again. "Yes, who is he? Why was he calling you?"

"Well you could say he's my arch enemy and he's got this creepy delusion that he should train me."

Robin knew all too well what that situation felt like. "If he's your enemy…. Why was he just calling you like that?"

Danny thought a moment on how he should answer. "Well….. this is the confusing part. He's also kind of like my Uncle, though I pretty much hate him. It's not always his aim to screw things up for other people, just get what he wants."

Beast Boy turned around now. "Dude… your arch nemesis is your Uncle? Weird."

Robin seemed confused. "So he's just a jerk…?"

"No, he's an evil, narcissistic, sociopathic jerk who will stoop to any level when it comes to his pride. A good example of this would be when he tried grave robbing an ancient ghost, and when he got his butt kicked he packed it in, and left me to take care of it." Cyborg traded glances with Beast Boy.

"Yeah, I'd say that was pretty evil of him….. but do you think he's going to cause any trouble?" Robin's main focus for this guy would be his threat level. Anything that could harm his team was a threat.

"To be honest I'm not sure. Judging from how that call went I'd say not for the time being. He didn't seem determined enough to get his hands dirty like that."

Robin seemed a bit looser after hearing that. "Well, I guess we can put him aside for now at least. I'm going to get back to looking over the research notes." Robin made his way to the door where he was intercepted by a pouting Starfire. "Uh… Star.." He heard a few chuckles from behind him.

"You shouldn't make a lady wait like that, Robin." Beast Boy started cracking up at Cyborg's comment and Danny added to it. "You wouldn't want her to get lonely."

Robin blushed at the looks his friends were giving him and sighed. "Alright…" Star jumped at that and then grabbed him. They left swiftly through the door just before the three others burst out laughing.

Beast Boy sighed a bit when he finish. "I wish I had a girlfriend."

"Cheer up, BB, I bet you'll find a girl just as corny as you!" The changeling grumbled at Cyborg's tease and turned back around. Cyborg turned around as well and the two continued their game. Danny shrugged and decided to move on as well. What better use of his free time then to go through the star map that was now installed in his new room?

* * *

**Danny's pov**

As I sat on my new bed I couldn't help but feel happy. Just last week I was at the bottom of my luck. I had lost everything….. well almost everything, I was still at the very least half alive still. I had no idea what I was going to do next and then Clockwork in all his brilliant meddling puts me on the track that could very well be something to look forward to every morning. "I could wake up with good friends and to a city that actually gave a damn; that actually appreciated me."

Not that Amity Park didn't appreciate me….. the kids did at least, and even a small population of the adults. It was everyone else that wanted me gone or locked up for experimentation. It's almost a refreshing feeling being here… almost. It's not like I didn't miss my old life either, I know I'd probably trade it back in a heartbeat if given the chance now, but that doesn't mean I'm not grateful….

I lay back on the soft mattress adorned in black sheets and watched the map on my ceiling. It was apparently in real time, and I could even set it back like one of those virtual astronomy programs. The Titans are really great…..

I must have fallen asleep like that at some point because the next thing I knew, a chill was running down my spine from my ghost sense. I jumped off the bed at a breakneck pace and phased through the wall. "Where?" It was still really dark outside so it must be early… how long was I asleep? I flew around the tower trying to narrow down where the ghost I sensed was but I found nothing.

30 minutes of nothing was all that was on my mind as I stood on the roof. The sun had yet to try and rise above the horizon and the moon was still high in the sky. I leaned over the edge just taking in the city across the water when I noticed something below. At the base of the tower by the door…. There was something. I immediately flew down.

"What is that?" As I got closer it seemed to be a box and when I landed it was obvious. A large crate was sitting just outside the tower doors. "What the? Is this how they get their mail?" I looked over the box for some kind of postage and my eyes fell on my own name. "It's for me….?" Upon closer inspection I noticed another more unpleasant name. "DALV group huh? Gee Vlad could you be a bit more subtle?"

I used my ghost ray to break the seal on the box and tore off the lid. The first thing I noticed was a scrolled up paper that was tied to a large thin metal box. I grabbed it and immediately opened it up. "Oh Vlad, you shouldn't have." I gotta say, giving me the plans for a ghost portal and quite possibly the tools to build one is actually kind of nice of him. I hadn't really thought about it much, but I do miss my trips into it, and visiting some of my ghostly friends like Frostbite.

I took a quick look over all the pieces. "I have to be sure and check these for spy devices…. Chances are he's not doing this out of the goodness of his heart." I furled the paper back and stuck the lid back on. "Next stop, my room." I loaded it onto my shoulders and flew it intangibly into the tower. It'll at least be an interesting hobby for the next few weeks…. Or months depending on how hard he made the instructions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, Danny, did you know you're really bold when you don't have a clue?=^-^=


	7. Night Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A villain appears at an ungodly hour.

**No one's pov**

It had been another two weeks and Danny had pretty much settled in by this point. Robin was preparing a briefing in the living room and the only Titan that hadn't arrived was Danny. He walked through the doors and noticed everyone was already present with Robin standing near the screen. "Uh… am I late?"

Robin motioned for him to join them. "You're right on time now come on." Danny floated over and took a spot on the couch in between Raven and Beast Boy. "In the past few weeks we have encountered these ghosts 3 times. They'll show up somewhere in a large group and then something somewhere else gets stolen. In the first attack, they were all over the museum's newest exhibit but the actual theft took place in their storage facility nearby; this pattern continued on, which is the reason why I connected them in the first place."

The screen behind him flickered on and a list displaying names and pictures appeared. "So far they have stolen this crystal, an ancient book, and a roll of textile fabric.

Raven looked over the list in confusion. "I can understand the crystal and the book, but how is the fabric connected?"

Robin pressed a button on the remote and details on each appeared. "Well the crystal must have some obvious significance for some kind of ritual like you had said before. The book appears to be some kind of archaic tome so there is an obvious connection. Now according to the owner of the textile factory, this particular roll of fabric was special ordered by someone who defaulted on the payment months ago. The connection to that is still rather unclear."

"So these creepy ghosts are stealing creepy things?"

"Yeah, and getting by us every time." Cyborg slammed his fist into his hand.

Starfire tried to ease the frustration of her friend. "Perhaps they are not the actual thief then or merely a distraction."

Robin nodded to that. "That is exactly what I was thinking. Whoever or whatever keeps taking these things must be working with those ghosts somehow." All eyes turned to Danny who was staring up at the screen in thought. "So what do you think?"

Danny snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Robin. "Huh?"

Cyborg gave him a puzzled look. "You're the ghost and by default, the ghost expert. Why do you think these ghosts want this stuff?"

Danny thought a moment and scratched his head. "To be honest it's weird. These ghosts aren't sentient enough to really express anything about their obsession. They are more like drone ghosts, mindless followers. Whoever is actually in charge could be a more powerful ghost or someone controlling them."

"They could be familiars." The sorceress added in.

Robin rubbed his chin as he thought about Raven and Danny's ideas until he saw Danny zone out again. "Anything else on your mind, Danny?"

The halfa looked up with a perturbed expression. "I just can't help but think about that one I pulled out of Beast Boy. Something felt odd about it… empty. When I used my ghost ray on it, I actually wasn't trying to destroy it at all, it just disintegrated in my hand. It was almost as if it didn't have any substance to it, which could also explain why it hadn't been able to fully possess Beast Boy."

Cyborg seemed confused. "So a possessed person isn't supposed to act like a zombie?"

Danny shook his head. "Well, they can I guess but most of the time, the ghost doing the possessing acts the part." Danny thought to himself for a moment. "Here, let me show you." Danny disappeared all of a sudden and left the Titans looking between each other.

"So….. where'd he go?" Cyborg was scratching his head while Robin looked over his team.

"I think he's trying to show us what possession looks like."

Beast Boy changed into a dog and sniffed the air a bit before changing back. "I think he just left." He crossed his arms as he continued to look around.

"I do not think he would just leave, Beast Boy." Starfire was adamant that he was still in the room despite how things appeared.

"Then he must have already possessed someone and we just haven't noticed." The rest of the Titans were a bit unnerved by Raven's comment as they began to analyze each other.

After a few minutes Robin crossed his arms. "How are we supposed to tell?"

Beast Boy was getting pretty nervous about the idea. "Yeah, I don't want to have another creepy ghost in me!" He gripped his arms and shivered.

"I think that's the idea, Robin, we're not supposed to be able to tell." Raven's monotone only added to the seriousness of the implication.

Cyborg looked over to Beast Boy. "Hey, BB, aren't animals supposed to have a sixth sense for ghosts and stuff like that?"

Beast Boy shrugged and turned into a blood hound. He then looked at each Titan in turn and smiled. "I guess you guys really couldn't figure it out could you?" The teens watched in a bit of shock as BB spoke in his dog form, though it quickly faded as they realized it was really Danny.

"Whoa…. I really couldn't tell at all." Cyborg was still in a bit of awe.

Robin's intrigue was peeked as he watched the green dog morph back to its humanoid form. "That's what you did to Gizmo isn't it?"

The changeling looked confused. "Gizmo?"

"The kid who was disrupting the convention before. He had all this tech on him."

The possessed Beast Boy turned to see Cyborg's descriptive gestures. "The one who wrecked that concert? Yeah." Danny then flew out of Beast Boy and he flopped down on the couch.

Starfire leaned over to poke him. "Is he unharmed?"

Danny nodded as he floated in place. "Yeah, he's fine. He'll snap out of it in a minute."

Beast Boy began to groan a bit as he slowly raised his head up. "What happened?"

"Sorry, Beast Boy, I used you as an example."

He re-positioned himself on the couch before responding. "You possessed me?... whoa…. That's creepy." He shivered a bit.

"Anyway, it can be very difficult to tell the difference especially if the ghost knows the person, but in the case of these drone ghosts, I doubt you'll have that problem."

Cyborg seemed a little worried about the whole thing. "Seems to me that a power like that could be really dangerous."

Beast Boy was quick to agree. "Yeah, and the fact that ghosts are already dangerous without it makes him better than Jericho!"

Robin turned off the monitor with the remote and spoke again. "That only makes what we're dealing with that much more dangerous. Danny, do all ghosts have that power?"

Danny nodded as he thought about it more. "Yeah, for the most part that comes as a standard ghost power along with intangibility, flight, invisibility and whatever other abilities special to that ghost."

Cyborg's mood plummeted at the insinuation. "So you're basically saying that those are some of the weakest ghosts out there considering they can't even do something as simple as possession, aren't you?"

Danny rubbed the back of his neck a bit nervously. "Well, if you want to say it like that…."

"Don't forget that it might not be a ghost that's in charge." Raven made sure to push her point. "There are plenty of ways to force a spirit to serve a master, from incantations to charms."

Danny seemed to twitch at the mention of charms, no doubt due to his own experience being manipulated by a crazy ringmaster. Robin nodded in approval of her point. "That's why we need to figure out just what these three items really have in common and hopefully before they get another piece, if they don't already have all they need." He sighed a bit at his own lack of information to go on. "I guess that's all for now team." The Titans dispersed and Danny headed back to his own room to work on his project.

* * *

Danny dug through the box to find the piece depicted in the blueprints. "Here we go!" He floated out and had what looked to be a silicon panel. He flew back into the closet he was using for the portal and placed it in like in the instructions. "I've got to hand it to Vlad, he may not have originally made it but he sure dumbed down the instructions. I might even finish by next week."

He walked out of the closet and saw Raven standing in his doorway. "Hello?"

"Uh…. Hi, Raven… what's up?"

She walked inside a few steps. "I knocked…. I was just wondering what you were doing in here all the time." She looked around at the room's added décor. The shelf was full of books and had a few models on it, the dresser had a few unidentifiable objects sitting on it but perhaps the most obvious thing was the box surrounded by machine parts.

"Well, I'm building something to be honest." He turned and went through the box for another piece.

"What are you building?" Raven was now analyzing the miscellaneous metal wires and paneling.

"First of all, I want to keep this on the down…. At least until I get it to work. Don't worry though; I have lots of experience with this sort of thing."

Raven didn't listen to that and questioned him again. "Are you sure about this? Isn't this the box that Plasmius sent you?"

Danny laughed a bit as he added a few more wires. "That's the funny part actually, it's the first time I've ever liked something he's done."

Raven watched in intrigue as he went through the blue prints. "Just be careful….. you of all people know what he's capable of."

"Duly noted." Danny stepped back out of the closet and walked over to Raven. "How about I show you first when it's done?"

Raven shrugged and averted her gaze. "You don't have to."

Danny placed a hand on her shoulder. "But I want to." She nodded but still refused to look him in the eye. "Anything wrong, Raven?"

"No, not really….." She turned and began to leave the room.

"Are you sure?" She didn't respond before she had left the room completely. Danny remained confused at her behavior but was now more distracted by his sudden nervousness. He rejoined the crate in his room with less interest than before. "Do I…..? No, that's stupid…." His attempts to get back to putting the portal together became less vigorous as he slowly lost interest.

He sighed as he turned to the clock and it only read 9 o' clock. "It's early but I just can't seem to concentrate." Danny waltzed over to his dresser and pulled out some pajamas that he retrieved on one of his trips back to Amity Park. He'd originally gone back just to check on things but after seeing things remain calm, he decided to go ahead and grab a few things from his now empty house and bring them back.

Vlad held the land title for his house so it didn't get sold or demolished even though Danny would have moved in with him. Danny chose to not even bother and had left all of his things half packed and sitting in Fenton Works. Of course, among the essentials he brought back were things like a few Fenton Thermoses and other ghost hunting equipment. After changing back to his human form, which he slept in to save energy, he changed into his pajamas and headed to bed.

* * *

It was just after midnight when a familiar cold sensation woke Danny up. The frequent chill stopped any attempt for him to try and sleep through it and he finally sat up. After a moment he was awake enough to realize just how active his ghost sense was, and he transformed on the spot. He flew through his bedroom door all the while trying to home in on the ghost or ghosts responsible for waking him up. "Where are you?"

As if in response to his question he heard a muffled laugh. A quick glance around showed no one around and Danny moved on. "I should probably wake up the others." He made his way to the living room where he knew there was a security interface. As he approached the panel he was hesitant to make a big deal about it until his ghost sense went off again. His hesitation subsided as he started the emergency alert protocol.

The alarm sounded through the tower waking up several groggy Titans and alerting one Boy Wonder insomniac. Robin was the first to make his way to the living area where Danny was still on edge from his hyper active ghost sense. "What's wrong!?"

Danny snapped his head in his direction as another burst of cold air escaped his lips. "We're under attack!"

"By what!?" Asked Cyborg as he joined the two of them.

Danny turned his head towards the ceiling. "By ghosts, and a lot of them." The low laugh from before was louder now as it echoed through the room.

"That's super creepy." Beast Boy had just stumbled into the room while rubbing sleep out of his eyes. "What's going on anyway?"

"It's time to wake up, BB, cause things are about to get crazy."

As the final two Titans finally entered the room it was then flooded by the mysterious specters they had become so familiar with. "Is asking what's going on going to get me anywhere?" Raven's grumpy attitude was evident as she took in the view of the ever increasing number of ghosts in the room.

"Why don't I answer that for you?" Each of the Titans was scanning the room now trying to find the origin of the mysterious voice. "I feel I should let you know that looking will get you nowhere."

"What are you doing here!?" Robin spat at the mysterious disembodied voice.

"I have come to retrieve something that is all. Please enjoy the company of my phantasms while I help myself." Just as they finished their explanation the ghosts that had taken over the living room began to make their move against the Titans.

Danny was quick to create a barrier around them so they could take a moment to strategize. "So what's the plan, Robin?"

He looked to the young halfa. "First we need to take out these things, then we need to figure out what he's trying to steal."

"But what would he want from us? It's not like we have any of those creepy magic things….." Everyone's eyes soon fell to Raven.

"Raven has such things in her room does she not?" Raven's eyes widened at Star's obvious statement.

"Then he must be heading to Raven's room." Robin then turned to Danny. "We're going to need to split up. One group takes these ghosts and the other intercepts the intruder at Raven's room. Danny, I want you, Starfire and Beast Boy to keep them in here. Cyborg, Raven and I are going to her room."

Beast Boy grumbled a bit. "So we get the creepy army? Oh man…."

"On the count of three, Danny lets his barrier down and we move, 1, 2, 3, Titans go!" In seconds Danny and Starfire started their offense towards the many specters flying around while Beast Boy was trying everything he could to not be surrounded. Robin and Cyborg followed Raven's charge back to her room. The three of them met little resistance with only a couple of the ghosts getting past the other Titans.

Once inside the room Robin flipped on the lights and both Raven and Cyborg took firing stances. "What?" They scanned the room only to see the normal gothic décor but not another soul in sight. "He's not here!?"

Cyborg took another few sweeps of the room with his inferred eye. "Did he already get what he wanted?"

Raven floated about her room being sure to check every shelf. "It doesn't look like anything's missing….."

Robin's communicator began beeping and he was quick to answer. "Star? What happened?"

"The ghosts have retreated."

"They're gone!?" Robin traded glances with Raven and Cyborg. "But he didn't take anything from Raven's room….. We're coming." He motioned for the other two to follow as he left the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Villains have no common curtesy. A note about the disembodied voice: I envisioned him to have a slight german accent but if I tried to write it that way I know that there would be some readers who would have a hard time understanding what he said, so if you could use your imagination... that would help.=^-^=


	8. Stargazing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Creepy bookstore date.

After everyone was sure that the tower was free of intruders they decided to have their meeting first thing in the morning. The first to arrive to the briefing was, of course, the insomniac Robin. He decided to go over security footage while he waited for the others. He was going through the footage of each room individually when he noticed something odd in the video of the hall where Danny's room was. "Wait…. What was that?" He rewound the video a few seconds to see the flash of light from under the door.

He couldn't help but wonder just what Danny could have been doing in his room to make that sort of flash. "Anything?"

Robin turned to see Raven standing just behind him. "Oh, good morning, Raven. To be honest, nothing. The ghosts don't even show up that well on the security footage." Raven couldn't help but notice the location of the camera on the display.

She sighed at the boy wonder. "What were you looking at just now?"

Robin turned back the camera again to show her. "Just a weird light from Danny's room I noticed while going over last night's footage." She watched as Robin seemed to ponder it while continuing to watch the screen.

"It's nothing. Was that all?"

Robin turned to Raven seeming quite confused at how she just brushed it off but her determined glare made her point clear. "Okay…. So there really wasn't anything missing from your room?"

Raven shook her head in response. "You find anything missing?"

"No, I checked my room, the evidence room, and the upper storage room."

Cyborg then came into the room. "Well I didn't find anything missing!" He sighed as he approach the two already debating amongst themselves. "Whatever that guy was trying to get, he must not have found it. I even had BB smell my room and he says no one's been there but me." Cyborg then crossed his arms in frustration.

"If nothing was taken, then why'd he come here in the first place?"

"Maybe he couldn't find what he was looking for?" Danny had just phased through a wall to join their conversation. "I think he was looking for something in my room; it was trashed when I went back to check, but nothing was missing that I could see."

Robin rubbed his chin in thought. "So he wanted something from you….., but he couldn't find whatever it was?"

Cyborg was just as perplexed about it as Robin. "What could he want from you?"

Danny shrugged as he responded. "Don't know; if he wanted some ancient relics I know a few ghosts but I don't hold onto that stuff. The last thing I need to be is cursed."

"Like what…?" Cyborg asked curiously.

"Well, I know two ghosts who have enchanted medallions that turn them into dragons; they're the only ones who can control the transformation unfortunately. Anyone else will turn into one when they get angry and throw a dragon sized fit."

Robin seemed a bit suspect of that explanation. "So you've tried it?"

"No but I did learn the hard way not to mess with enchanted jewelry."

He raised his brow at that and then got up to leave. "I'm going to go check on Starfire then."

"Sure." Cyborg said with a knowing smile, though it didn't seem to faze Robin as he left the room. Cyborg then stretched a bit. "I guess if there isn't anything to worry about right now, I'm going to get some sleep to make up for getting none last night." He yawned as he left the room leaving just Raven and Danny within.

Danny shuffled his feet a bit as he tried not to seem nervous as he talked. "So….. I guess we have some free time,…. Do you want to…"

She watched as his cheeks became tinged with green. "Hang out?"

"Yeah!... uh, if you want to."

She gave him a small smile. "Sure…. Have anything in mind?"

Danny shrugged as he turned to the city view. "Well, is there any place in town you like to go? I'm kinda new around here." Danny gave her a sheepish smile as he waited for a response.

"I do know a good book store."

"That's perfect then." The half quickly agreed.

* * *

"Graveyard Books…..?" Danny was reading the sign above the rustic book shop. "Well, it definitely has a fitting name." Danny then turned to look at the large graveyard across the street.

"It's not really in the city so it's quiet."

Danny chuckled a bit to himself. "Well that's good for the customers I guess but I don't know about the business over all."

"I make enough to get by." Danny turned to see a young darkly dressed man with several intricate tattoos. He placed a pen and notepad he was holding into the black apron he was wearing and turned to Raven. "It's been awhile, Raven. I just happened across a book the other day that you might like." She followed him inside without a word and Danny followed.

The inside was just as darkly decorated as the outside with grey walls and the occasional book poster on the walls. As Danny passed by a low shelf he ran his finger across it to reveal a thick layer of dust. At the counter the shop keep kneeled down and started to go through a box under the counter. "It was a weird book, and to be honest, I don't remember ordering it, but I figured it was right up your ally. You won't believe how long it took me to figure out what language this was. You can read Ancient Sumerian right?"

Danny raised a brow at that and turned to Raven. "Can you?" She nodded silently without turning to him.

Once the shop keep found the book he dropped the thick tome onto the counter. "It's weird, I don't think I've ever gotten a book written in a dead language before….. aside from Latin."

Danny struggled over the text on the front but Raven was able to ease his effort by reading it aloud. "Myths of the Dead."

Danny squinted at the book's writing until giving up the notion of trying to wrap his mind around the text. "I'll take your word for it."

The shopkeeper laughed at Danny's statement. "Good call. By the way, I've rotated my inventory a bit since you were last here so you should look around. I'll keep this book up here if you want it."

"Thanks, I do." Raven then turned and began down the rows of books.

"Psst!" Danny turned his gaze from the shelf Raven went behind to the man behind the counter. "Hmm?"

He raised his brow at the young halfa. "You like her don't you?"

Danny was instantly taken aback by that question and he responded in a whisper equal to the man's. "W-what? No!... W-what would give you that idea?!"

The shop keep chuckled while pointing at him. "How about the color change your face just made?"

Danny felt the burn of his cheeks increase at the man's observance. "I-I don't…!" He turned back to the direction where Raven had left and spoke under his breath. "Do I?" The shopkeeper laughed as he went into a backroom behind the counter. His internal thoughts were interrupted by the dropping of books coming from a back shelf. "Raven?"

Danny dashed back to see her picking 3 books off the dusty ground and one of the shelves being broken. Raven turned to him with a stoic expression. "I got it."

"How did that happen?" Danny approached and looked at the books as he went.

"The shelves here are old, it probably just gave out."

Danny reached down and picked up one of the books that fell. "Transmutations in the Occult?"

He handed Raven the book and she took it with a slight frown. "I know it's …. Weird."

Danny furrowed his brow. "Weird? More like creepy to be honest."

Raven turned away and began trying to prop the shelf back in place. "I get it."

Danny watched her place a few books on the newly fixed shelf in slight confusion. "Are you okay, Raven?"

She turned to him with a saddened expression. "You think I'm creepy right?" Danny nodded without hesitation making Raven turn away. "I knew it…."

"Hey, it's not a bad thing. I mean, I'm half ghost. I'm pretty sure that beats out sorceress in creepiness. Besides…" Danny started to rub the back of his neck and his cheeks turned a bit green. "…. It's kind of cute….." Raven froze as she placed the last book on the shelf and then it seemed the whole shelf suddenly fell to pieces. The books fell all over the place shocking Danny and Raven out of their mindsets. "Oh man! This place needs new shelves!"

"What's going on!?" They both turn to see the shop keep gaping at the mess wildly.

"Hey, you need a new shelf. This thing just fell apart as Raven was placing back the books."

The man sighed as he began to pick up a few books. "I guess you're right… Did you find anything else you wanted Raven?"

She seemed distracted as she responded. "No….."

"Alright then, let me just pick this up and I'll get you squared away at the counter."

* * *

Later that night Danny was up on the roof watching the stars which has always been a pastime for him. The moon was nearly new so that made it that much better for viewing the stars. He laid back against the edge of the roof ledge and watched, carefully tracing each constellation as he went. He heard the door open but he didn't bother turning to see them. After all, he already knew who it was. Only one person was always able to find him here since he started living in the tower. "Hey, Raven."

She stood beside him and looked up to the stars. "You really like space don't you?"

Danny laughed a bit. "Yeah…. When I was little that's all I ever thought about. I wanted to be an astronaut when I grew up."

She turned to him. "Not anymore?"

"Well sure, I'd want to, but that's just not in the cards right now. Especially with all that's been going on recently….. at least I got the chance to be in space once, even if I didn't leave orbit."

Raven turned back up to the sky. "We've gone into space on more than one occasion; maybe we'll have to again."

Danny started to trace another constellation with his finger. "I'll look forward to it then."

Raven then turned back and noticed his hand. "What are you doing?"

"I'm tracing constellations like Orion, which is right there." He pointed midway up the sky. "And there's Canis Major." He moved his finger to the side and Raven followed it. She sat down next to him as he continued to point out more constellations but she was more deep in thought than listening. She couldn't help but hear what he had told her that morning over and over in her head. "Raven?" She snapped out of it and turned to the worried halfa. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah,….. um, about this morning…. Did you mean it?"

Danny didn't really recall and answered in the typical way. "What?"

Raven ducked her head a bit behind her knees. "Today at the book store when you said….. you thought I was cute…."

Danny found his face glowing green all of a sudden. "Oh…. That…. I uh….. Yeah."

"You've said it before too….. a couple of weeks ago."

Danny was now finding it very hard to look in her direction and so he looked away. "Yeah."

Now Raven couldn't seem to look his way. "So?"

Danny began his usual nervous habit as he struggled to find the right words. "I… uh I…. Yes, I meant it." Danny took a moment to breath and he looked towards the sky. "You may have already noticed this about me, but I'm notorious for being clueless…." Raven couldn't help but give a small laugh at that prompting Danny to turn and face her. "You really are cute when you laugh."

Raven turned to him with a blush evident on her pale skin. "I'm not…"

"Don't say that. Others might see a dark, creepy, girl in cloak, but I see a shy, intelligent…."

Raven turned away again and interrupted him. "Stop!"

"What's wrong?" Danny was very confused about her sudden change in mood.

She stood but did not face him again. "You're only saying these things because I look like her….. You liked her right?"

It took Danny a moment to realize who she was talking about. "Wait… Sam?" Raven gave a silent nod. "No…. I mean, yes you look like her. You wear dark colors, share similar features and seem to have the same taste in books, but that's not why I'm saying any of this. You and her…. You're two different people. I told you before that you don't act like her at all, and it's that part of you…." Raven turned in a bit of anticipation, which wasn't very evident in her expression, of what he would say. "…. That I like."

Raven's face burned brighter in response. "You… like me?"

Danny was barely able to compose his flustered reply. "Y-yes,…. I do." She stared at him in a bit of shock for a moment before a couple of pipes near the door burst open. She instantly turned away and pulled her hood over her head. "Raven?" Danny slowly approached her in confusion. "Was that you?" She didn't respond as he continued to approach. "Raven…..?"

She pulled away as he reached out for her arm. "It was my powers… they react to emotion."

"Your emotions?"

"Yes…. The more I feel , the more energy I release."

"Is that why you always sound so indifferent?"

She nodded. "If I control my emotions, I control my powers."

Danny looked over to the pipes in amazement and in slight confusion. "So you choose not to feel to… wait, that means you felt something just now."

Raven turned away again and gave a very silent response. "Yes…."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clueless Danny is nice, but I need him to rein it in. Enter convenient shop keeper to point it out very bluntly.=^-^=


	9. Closet Portal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny's portal is finished, and he takes someone on a little trip.

It had been over a month since their night time attack by the mysterious adversary and they hadn't had a single lead or even a sighting of the ghosts since. Even Robin had almost thrown in the towel for tracking him down due to the brick wall put up in front of any leads. On a brighter note the city had been business as usual as it prepared for the winter season, even the Titans.

Most of the Titans were hanging out in the living room with Robin and Cyborg playing a game and Starfire watching with great interest. The room was only slightly decorated with a few of the bobbles on the wall being of Starfire's creation and thus a bit on the weird side. Cyborg had just claimed victory on the boy wonder when Beast Boy walked in a little rough for wear.

"Take that, Bird Boy! Who's top dog!" Robin bore an unpleased expression as he sank into his chair falling only to the comfort of his cheery girlfriend.

"The winning of the game is not what's important, Robin, it is how it is played."

Beast Boy hobbled over to his friends in urgency. "Yo, guys!"

Cyborg turned around and had the victory screen as his background. "Yo, BB, what's up?... What happened to you?"

The beat up changeling was covered in dust and had several bruises. "I sort of interrupted Raven during one of her meditations even though she told me to go awa-"

Robin turned around and leaned over the couch. "You should know not to bug Raven during her meditations."

Beast Boy sighed. "Yeah, but I just wanted to know what she wanted to do for the Christmas party….. Anyway, that's not the point! This is!" Beast Boy pulled out what appeared to be a glass rose. "This was in Raven's room!"

Cyborg gave him a disappointed frown. "Tell me you didn't actually take that from her room."

Beast Boy seemed agitated at the insinuation. "Of course not! I didn't even get past the door before she nailed me with a mess of random stuff! This was in one of the boxes she threw at me."

The three traded glances before Starfire spoke up. "Is it not a plant of Earth? What is so unusual about it?"

Cyborg took the rose from Beast Boy's hand and looked it over. "No, it's made of glass Star."

Robin eyed it carefully. "No…. I don't think it is. It looks more like ice."

Cyborg scanned it with his right arm and nodded to Robin. "He's right, this is ice, but it's weird…. It's not even melting."

Robin took the rose in his hands and scrutinized it again before handing it back to Beast Boy. "Well, it's none of our business what Raven keeps in her room. Give it back."

Beast Boy wailed in disappointment. "Aw come on! Aren't any of you curious? Raven keeps all matter of creepy things in her room, but an ice rose?"

Robin furrowed his brow. "Yes but like I said, it's none of our business Beast Boy. If she wants to tell us, then let her do it. We don't need to be prying into her personal space."

Cyborg held himself in agreement. "Yeah, don't you remember the last time you spied on Raven?"

Beast Boy took a moment to react to that. "You mean when that guy she was talking to turned out to be a dragon and destroyed everything!?"

Starfire squealed at the statement. "Do you believe that Raven has a new special friend?"

All the Titans looked between each other. "It is possible….."

Robin rubbed his chin in thought before sighing. "Yeah, but like I said, it's not our business."

"Yeah, BB we can only hope he's not another dragon." With that Cyborg turned back to revel in the victory displayed on the screen.

Beast Boy sighed in defeat before looking about the room. "Hey…. Where's Danny anyway?"

Robin, who had turned back around, responded. "He told me he was visiting a friend of his today and to call him if anything came up."

Beast Boy's ears drooped in disappointment. "Didn't he do that last week?"

* * *

Meanwhile, in the ghost zone, Danny was busy sparring with a familiar FarFrozen. Danny held his ice staff towards Frostbite in apparent victory before his legs were knocked out from under him. He fell face first into the snow and was greeted upon looking up to a hardy laugh. "Nice try Great One, but you forgot to watch your footing."

Danny stood up and knocked the snow off with his free hand. "Yeah, you got me there."

Frostbite placed his hand on the young halfa's shoulder. "It's alright, you have improved greatly from the previous lesson."

"Not enough to get you though."

"True but I am no push over Great One. How about we take a break?"

"Sounds good to me, to be honest, I'm getting kind of hungry." Danny had his hand to his stomach.

"Then to eat we shall go." They both dropped their staffs and Danny followed Frostbite towards a cave. "How are you holding up, Great One? You seem rather chipper."

Danny's smile faded a bit as he responded. "I'm doing alright I guess. I'm more distracted then over it really. I still wake up sometimes thinking it never happened until I see my room and it all comes back."

Frostbite wore a sympathetic grin. "Time will make things better you'll see."

Danny chuckled. "You sound like Clockwork."

"A wise ghost he is. It is sad to lose those of whom you greatly care for, but you cannot let it drag you down. You must live now for those who can no longer live for themselves."

Danny gave a small smile to Frostbite's words. "By the way, Great One, Permafrost told me of a new acquaintance of yours. A girl I believe, named Raven?"

Danny blushed as he averted his gaze. "Uh… yeah…"

Frostbite gave him a knowing smile. "You should bring her next time you come. It would be most pleasing to meet a new friend of yours, Great One."

Danny scratched at his cheek. "Uh… well sure I guess. I have been meaning to show her the ghost zone anyway."

"Splendid then; we will be sure to prepare a most warm welcome."

* * *

"Concentrate more on the image, Great One. It needs to be solid and detailed." Danny held his hands out to face each other as an ice crystal floated between them. He had a look of both strained determination and slight frustration as the crystal slowly started to morph its shape. "Good! Keep going!" It began to extend itself into a longish shape and then pieces protruded from either side.

Once the shape stopped changing the edges became cleaner and it seemed as though he had made a small ice space shuttle. "Excellent Great One. You are certainly picking this up far faster than your fist training months ago."

Danny winced a bit as he looked over the ship. "It's hard not to do better than that, but I think this one came out good. It won't be long before I can make what I really want to make."

"Certainly so."

Danny placed the ship next to another few ice crafts he had made during the exercise and began making another ice crystal. "Okay next will be….. hmm… how about a Raven?" He was about to start when the DP emblem on his chest began flashing red. "Hmm? Oh, sorry Frostbite, but I gotta move."

The frosty giant simply nodded in understanding. "It is quite alright, Great One, I look forward to your next visit."

Danny floated up and waved. "I'm thinking same time next week?"

"See you then, Great One." With that, Danny flew off in the direction of his new portal.

* * *

Upon exiting the portal he immediately opened up his communicator to call Robin. "What's up?" Robin greeted him with a smile as a flash went off in the background. "Sorry about interrupting, but the Hive Five are on a stealing spree."

"No problem, Robin, where exactly?"

"North shopping district." He hung up and Danny took off. He had grown used to several of the more popular locations in Jump city which made it easier to navigate around when he had to find places without assistance. He was flying over the city and was almost to the right location when an explosion went off at his right.

Upon looking down he saw several of the same guy all ganging up on Robin who was throwing several explosives at them. "Hey, Robin, need a hand?"

Robin looked up at the halfa in amusement. "Yeah actually, I'm sure he's right up your ally."

Danny took a moment to look over the guys and counted 7. "Are you guys like…. Brothers or something?"

"I'm Billy Numerous! We're all the same!" After his proud declaration he scratched his head as he got a good look at Danny. "Uh….. who are you….. and where'd your legs go?" Danny looked down at his ghostly tail and reformed his legs causing the villain even more confusion. "What?"

"That's a neat trick you've got there, can I try?"

Billy paused a moment before he broke out laughing. "Yeah right!" All seven of them were clutching their stomachs in laughter as Danny split into two.

"So?" The seven of them looked up and rubbed their eyes.

"What?!"

Danny raised his brow and smirked. "Not enough? Then how about this?" His two then split into four and they all stood floating with smirks on their faces. "How about now?"

Billy seemed almost too surprised as all of them gripped their heads and shouted in unison. "How'd you do that!?"

The main Danny waved his hand in a nonchalant manner. "Lots of practice."

Then Billy seemed to get his act together and they regained their confidence. "Well we still got you outnumbered."

Danny gave a light laugh. "I don't know about you, but I'm bad at math. That being said at least I know that 100x0 is still 0." They went red in the face as they charged him head on. Billy immediately tripled his numbers while Danny stayed at an even four. Robin got in the fight too as he knocked down copies left and right. Danny and Robin easily over powered them after only a few minutes and no matter how many more copies he made.

Just as they finished off the last one, Starfire came over and dropped Gizmo on the pile. "You are victorious as well!"

She seemed almost euphoric as she saw the large pile only get higher as Cyborg threw Mammoth on top. "Boo-ya!"

Danny made his copies disappear and took a look at Gizmo. "This is the kid I possessed right….. Gizmo?"

"Yeah, he busted out of jail just last week."

Raven was next to arrive with Kid Wicked wrapped in her dark energy. When she saw Danny standing by Robin she instantly became happy but didn't show more than a small inkling of it on the surface. "Have fun?"

Danny gave her a playful smile. "Yeah, I really need to introduce you guys to him at some point."

A large green ape threw the last of them on the pile and then he changed back to his real form. "He a ghost too?"

"Yeah, but that won't be the first thing you think when you first see him. Anyway is that all of them?" Danny began counting them in the pile while Robin moved over to deal with the police that just rolled up.

"Yeah that's all of 'em, I mean there is only five."

"No, dude, there used to be six!" Beast Boy's matter of fact tone had Cyborg second guessing himself.

"Oh yeah, Jinx left….."

Starfire flew over to Danny in happiness. "Oh friend, Danny, I have been most curious. What do you plan to do for the upcoming night of festivities?"

Danny gave her a bemused response. "Sorry, Starfire, but that's a surprise."

* * *

Danny strolled down the hall of the tower the next week in what seemed to be a really good mood. He stopped just in front of Raven's door and knocked quietly. It only took her a moment to answer the door, first by slightly cracking it and then once she saw it was Danny she opened it all the way. "Hey." She seemed happy even though her tone was neutral.

"Doing anything today?"

Raven looked confused by the question. "Didn't you tell Robin you were going somewhere today?"

"Yeah, but this time I want you to come with me. I want you to meet a friend of mine."

She remained silent for a moment before responding. "Sure…"

Danny was elated at the answer and grabbed her hand to lead her to his room. He froze just before he took off and turned back to Raven. "You wouldn't happen to have anything warmer to wear would you?" She nodded in slight confusion and went back into her room to change.

She emerged in the winter wear version of her outfit, causing Danny to blush slightly at how cute it was, and followed Danny to his room. "Where are we going?"

They entered his room and he led her to his closet. "You'll see when we get there." He opened the door and pressed a switch on the wall.

Instead of turning on the light like Raven expected the back of the closet opened up to reveal a pair of heavy duty metal doors. "What's that?"

Danny walked over and typed in a code into the panel next to the doors and after a slight pause they opened up and the two were bathed in a green glow. "It's a portal."

Raven stared in disbelieve at the strange swirl shining on her. "To where….?"

Danny smiled as he reached out for her hand. "To the Ghost Zone."

She was immediately flabbergasted and looked back and forth between Danny and the portal. "To the…. Ghost Zone?!" She moved over to the front of the portal and then turned back to Danny. "You built an inter-dimensional portal in your closet?"

Danny scratched his lower cheek as he responded. "It's not like I had anywhere else to put it." He then stepped forward and held out his hand again. "Let's go." She seemed hesitant about the whole idea but Danny reassured her. "It's fine I promise. It's a weird place at first but we can handle anything we come across as long as we stick to the right path." She grabbed his outstretched hand and he pulled her through the portal. Once through it the portal's glow was once again the only source of light they had.

Raven took a look around and was able to determine that they were in some kind of cavern. "This is it?" Her continued analysis of the cavern was interrupted by a loud and vicious bark. She turned to her right and was face to face with a monstrous hound who looked to want nothing more than to tear her to shreds. She was poised to attack before Danny stepped in front of her.

"Wait!" He then turned to the dog. "Down, Cujo! She's a friend." The dog's angry growl faded and he began panting in an excited manner.

"You have a dog?" Raven couldn't help but be amused at the current picture of Cujo laying on his side and Danny scratching his belly.

"I really wouldn't say he's my dog, but he's followed me home several times over the years and it seems now he sleeps here right outside the portal." The dog stood up again and sniffed her.

Raven wasn't too pleased at the dog's ignorance of her personal space, so she stepped away from it. "Down boy." Cujo barked and shrank down to his smaller size shocking Raven in the process. He then proceeded to run around her in a circle. "Hyper isn't he?"

Danny shrugged. "Yeah but that's what makes him fun." He whistled and the dog instantly ran to his side. "Stay here, boy." Cujo happily sat down but gave a disappointed whimper as Danny moved to leave. "I'll come back you know." That did little to ease the puppy's sadness as Raven too made a motion to leave following Danny. "Alright, it's just through here."

The two of them reached to opening of the cavern which led out into the vast void that was the Ghost Zone. "I moved the let out point of the portal so that it would spawn inside this cave. I found it effective for keeping unwanted ghosts out and Cujo acts like a backup deterrent."

Upon laying eyes on the greenish void of the ghost dimension the awe was apparent on Raven's face. "Whoa….It's huge." Her eyes fell on random floating land masses and doors one after the other.

"It's pretty big and I have gotten lost on more than one occasion but you get used to it. Getting lost in the Ghost Zone is actually how I ended up in Jump City."

Raven continued to stare off into the void of the zone. "Then I guess getting lost isn't a bad thing."

Danny then floated up and turned reaching out for her hand. "Let's get going."

Raven smiled with a slight blush as she took his hand. "Lead the way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I refuse to feel guilty about this pairing even if it involved killing off Sam to do it. They're cute! Also, this is just a short break. Stuff will happen very soon.=^-^=


	10. Holiday in the Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas plus Ice Powers equals?

The two of them flew through the ghost zone being sure not to attract too much attention. At the same time, Danny was sure to point out some interesting places on their way to the frosty wasteland. "If you go in that direction there, you should find a floating library. A ghost named Ghost Writer lives there and he has a ridiculous book collection. Any topic you can think of will have some section dedicated to it."

Raven looked off in the direction he pointed. "Can you even see it from here?"

Danny squinted a bit. "Yeah… it's the tiny speck you see just to the left of the red door there."

Raven squinted herself but failed to see what he was talking about. They continued on their journey while Raven was sure to notice anything out of place. That basically counts everything considering its all floating around in an unnatural manner. "What's with all of the doors?"

Danny continued ahead as he responded. "They are realms, ghost lairs. Each door leads to a different ghost and sometimes more than one. The islands and other floating masses are also lairs, but not every lair is necessarily occupied." Raven stopped to inspect a door that came up on her right and then reached out to open it. She was instantly cut off by Danny. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Most ghosts don't like to be disturbed and will go a bit postal on trespassers."

She pulled her hand back and gave a smile to Danny. "Nice to know."

"Come on let's keep going." They continued further and Raven could feel the temperature drop steadily as they moved. She eventually started to shiver as the icy mountain range came into view. "Sorry, I know it's cold. You okay?"

She pulled up her hood and nodded. "I'll get used to it."

Danny guided her closer and they landed on the edge. Raven and Danny's feet crunched in the snow as they walked towards its center. "Welcome to the land of the FarFrozen, coldest place in the ghost zone."

"It's not the most pleasant place I've ever been but I know it's not the worst either."

Danny laughed. "I know. My friends used to complain about the cold too, but the FarFrozen are very welcoming…. At least for people they know. I told him I was bringing someone along today." Raven turned to look around at the frozen scenery and the quiet wind as it blew through the snow. She couldn't keep her gaze on one specific spot while she looked around and soon the cold sensations seemed to die down.

"This place….. it's so quiet."

"Yeah…. At least until you meet the FarFrozen. They are a pretty festive bunch. They hold an annual competition every year called the Ice Trials where they test their ice abilities against each other. It's one of the few times they let ghosts from all over into their territory without an official reason. I hear it's an anticipated event every year."

Raven stopped and looked at him in confusion. "Ghosts…. Do that sort of thing?"

Danny stopped and turned to her. "Well sure. Being dead doesn't mean you can't have any fun right?"

"I thought ghosts were….."

"I know what you're going to say, and a lot are. Then again, there are a lot of ghosts who are more sentient then that….. or they just don't want to. It really all depends on their obsession."

They continued walking again. "Obsession? Like why they can't pass on?"

"Yeah. There are ghosts that go around haunting because their obsession sort of makes them and there are those who's obsessions don't. I know an annoying ghost who's obsessed with boxes and will go anywhere you can find them. I also know a ghost who is obsessed with hunting but he doesn't necessarily hunt all the time or even in the human world. Truth be told, he doesn't make much of a stir in the human world outside hunting me half the time."

Raven furrowed her brow in confusion, which was not entirely evident under her hood. "He hunts you?"

"I'm a halfa remember? That makes me rare and unique, at least that's his given reason for hunting me in the first place. Now it may just be a matter of principal considering he has yet to hang me on his wall." Raven giggled a bit at the blatant sarcasm Danny used in the last sentence prompting Danny to flash a smile to her. "I really don't think you should be laughing at that."

"I will if you say it like that."

Danny turned back around as soon as he started to hear the crunching snow head their way. "Oh, Frostbite's here." Raven followed Danny towards the crunching noises and a shadowy figure appeared in the view obscuring wind. The snow being blown up from the ground made it nearly impossible to make out the figure as Raven readied for a fight. "Frostbite!" Danny waved happily as the shadow started to shrink.

"Welcome, Great One!" Raven felt a bit silly for assuming the worst in a dimension she knew next to nothing about and took a standing spot by Danny.

Once Frostbite came into view she was shocked at the way he looked. He was an icy abominable snowman if she ever saw one. "This is Frostbite?"

Danny lowered his hand and answered. "Yeah, all of the FarFrozen look like this. Sorry I didn't tell you what they looked like before, I just figured showing you would be a lot simpler."

He now stood in front of the two teens. "It seems we are having a bit of a storm out here, sorry for not greeting you properly, Great One."

Danny waved his hand in a 'don't worry' fashion. "It's fine, Frostbite, really."

The woolly ghost then turned to Raven. "And you must be his guest. Welcome to the realm of the FarFrozen. I have made arrangements inside due to the storm, come with me." He laid his arm out for them to follow and he followed behind them.

The winds only got harsher as they neared the FarFrozen village. "You weren't kidding about the storm." Danny was holding his arm to block the wind on his face.

"Yes, Great One, they center in the village every so often. They last but a few hours, but they'll blow away anything that is not nailed down." Frostbite was copying Danny's attempt to block out the wind while Raven seemed unable to keep her cloak from flapping all over the place.

"We need to get out of this wind." She stopped and held her hands out before her. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" A dome of her black magic appeared over the three of them prompting a sigh of relief from Danny, but a yell of confusion from Frostbite.

"What is this!?" He looked around in a wary manner until his eyes fell upon Raven as she was finally able to tame her cloak. "S-sorceress!"

Danny and Raven both seemed confused at his shout. "What's wrong, Frostbite?"

Frostbite pulled Danny to the side and stood between him and Raven. "Why have you set your sights on the Great One?!"

Danny dashed around him in protest of his aggressive accusations. "What are you talking about, Frostbite!?"

He looked to Danny who only seemed confused and then back to Raven who was equally confused. "What?..." He turned to Danny and looked him over carefully. "Is she not controlling you, Great One?"

He scratched his head. "Not that I know of."

Frostbite picked him up and turned him around several times to get a good look. "You have no seal… so she isn't controlling you?"

"That's what I said." Danny now had an agitated tone as Frostbite set him back on the snow. "What's with you all of a sudden?"

Frostbite clapped his hands together and bowed. "My deepest apologies, Great One. It was my belief your will was not your own. Magic users of the mortal realm have been known to manipulate ghosts for every kind of reason." He then turned to Raven and did the same. "My deepest apologies to you as well, honored guest of the Great One. It was wrong of me to generalize you like that, but ghosts have been seen as mere slaves to your kind for centuries. I see now that you are not of the same nature."

Danny looked back at Raven and then to Frostbite. "I guess it's cool then. As long as you understand that she's not going to do anything like that."

Raven walked over to Frostbite. "I'm fine, so it's alright."

He raised his head. "Thank you both for accepting my apology."

Danny started towards the village again. "Alright then, we should get going now. We can't expect Raven to keep this up all day can we?"

* * *

As they entered the cavern from outside in the harsh wind they started by shaking off the snow that had piled up on the way. "Man, talk about bad timing." Danny was brushing the last of the snow out of his hair.

"My apologies once again, Great One, but it is the season for it."

"I'm more surprised that you have weather here." Raven had taken off her cloak to shake off the snow.

"I was surprised too and they even have night here." Raven's confusion for the dimension only grew as she placed her cloak back on her shoulders.

Frostbite started through the cave with an explanation. "Ah, but the Ghost Zone is the mirror to the mortal realm. It should not be so surprising for them to have similarities."

"Right, it's sort of the flip side. The Ghost Zone and Human world are so interconnected that one couldn't exist without the other."

"Precisely, Great One. You should not treat them as separate, but instead as two halves of the same thing." They arrived in a larger cavern that was furnished with tables and chairs. There was also a few simple decorations, but overall it was a simple room. Frostbite directed them to a table near the far end. "Come and sit. I shall bring out refreshment."

Both Danny and Raven sat on the same side and waited for him to return. "He's a pretty nice guy."

"Yeah, most people would freak out about his appearance like you almost did."

Raven blushed in embarrassment. "I was hoping you didn't notice."

"Hey, I did the same thing when I first met him, I found out rather quickly though that his initial attack wasn't on purpose. He's a great friend that I can rely on." Danny leaned over the table with a melancholy sigh.

Raven noticed his shift in mood immediately and queried him. "Are you alright?"

Danny, who was propping his head on his hands, responded. "Sorry….. I just couldn't help thinking back a bit. I can't help but miss them…."

Raven placed a hand on his back in a soothing motion. "You've still got friends, Danny, the Titans. We're with you….. especially me." Danny blushed a bit as a smile formed on his face. He reached his hand across the table slowly towards hers but stopped at the sound of Frostbite's shout.

"I have returned, Great One!" Frostbite set a tray on the table which had three cups on it. "I have procured tea for your guest as well." He handed one of the cups to Raven and then the other to Danny. He took a seat on the other side of the table with the third steaming cup in hand.

Raven looked to the ghost and then to Danny as he took a sip of his drink. "I've been wondering…. Why does he call you Great One?"

Danny gave her a sheepish glance as he rubbed the back of his neck. It seemed to her he didn't really want to answer that question. "He is the savior of the Ghost Zone." Danny sighed at Frostbite's statement.

Raven was confused by his reaction, but was also very curious as to what he had done. "What did he do?"

Frostbite gave a grin which showed a set of sharp fangs that contrasted his friendly nature. "It was he who imprisoned the Ghost King back within the Sarcophagus of Forever Seep. If it not for his brave actions all ghosts of this realm and quite possibly the humans of yours, would be under the iron fist of this tyrant."

"I really didn't do all that much….. technically you really couldn't say I won, more like a tie."

Frostbite shook his head. "You should not short change yourself, Great One. You deserve to be called a hero for your actions, regardless of what could have been. It was your hand which dealt him defeat and it is for that we honor you with the title Great One."

Danny's expression showed he had given up on trying to change his mind as he sat up and laid his arms flat on the table. "Fine, I give."

"It seems to me that you deserve the title, **Great One**." Danny winced a bit at Raven's tease. He had never really been comfortable with that kind of praise or being called Great One. He was never one to bask in the spotlight for he knew all too well what it could do to a person.

"This must be the girl you told me about." The three looked to entrance of the room to see a FarFrozen of a slightly smaller frame. She had shorter fur and wore a single leather belt over her shoulder looping around her waist that was fastened by a metal ring. Aside from those details she was dressed just as any other FarFrozen with armbands and a light brown cloth fastened around her waist.

"Hey, Permafrost."

She made her way over to the group and took a seat by Frostbite. "Greetings, honored guest of the Great One."

Raven gave her a short response in her usual monotone voice. "Hi."

"What brings you here today, Permafrost?" Frostbite had not expected her company today because she was on patrol duty.

"The outer patrols were delayed due to the winds being too strong. Tundra didn't want anyone getting lost again."

Frostbite paused to listen to the evident howl of the winds outside before responding. "A wise decision on his part."

"I'd say so, with those winds blasting up the snow, you'd be happy to see five feet in front of you. I doubt any intruders would fare any better."

"Quite true."

They chatted for a little bit longer before Frostbite decided to give a tour to their honored guest. Of course she declined at first but Frostbite's insistence made her reconsider. They spent the next few hours walking about the many caverns and tunnels connecting all the areas of the frosty land. They could not go outside but that is the reason why there were paths like that, connecting each one.

Through the whole tour Raven seemed the most surprised at the amount of technology that they had here. They didn't appear on the surface to be a very advance people but the computers and machines could put any doubt to rest. They put many human labs to shame with their technology. Once the winds had died down Danny decided they should head back.

He stepped out of the cavern to look upon the newly cleared green sky of the Ghost Zone. "Finally it's over."

"Indeed, Great One, please come and visit again."

Danny floated up in preparation for leaving. "Don't worry, Frostbite, I'll come back soon. I'll bring some more of the jello you liked so much."

Frostbite waved his good bye with vigor. "Splendid, I look forward to it."

With that he flew off with Raven by his side. "He likes jello?"

Danny shrugged. "He likes what he likes, though by the time it gets to him its usually frozen solid. Anyway did you have fun?"

Raven gave him a small smile. "Yeah, I did. The Ghost Zone is nothing like how I expected."

Danny chuckled at that. "Yeah, once you get past the eerie green glow and hordes of vicious ghosts it can be a pretty interesting place."

* * *

A little over a week had passed since Raven's first trip into the Ghost Zone and neither her nor Danny had been back since. Christmas Eve was finally upon the tower as everyone was up and about with preparations. Beast Boy had just finish gathering together a box of supplies for his latest comedy routine that he planned to enact the next day at their Christmas party and had sat down on the couch holding out the ice rose he had gotten from Raven.

"What up, BB?" Cyborg noticed the rose in his hand and gave him a disappointed look. "You still haven't given that back?"

"Well it's not like I haven't tried, but every time I do she's either not there or choosing not to answer the door."

Cyborg raised his brow at that. "Well that doesn't sound too unlikely."

"And every time I run into her outside her room I either don't have it on me to give or she's in some kind of hurry. I'm thinking it's to meet someone; She's been really happy lately."

Cyborg nodded to the changeling's deduction. It was sound in reason which was rare because he too noticed her brightening mood. While she had opened up quite a bit since the incident with Trigon she had never been this openly happy before. "I have to admit I am pretty curious as to whether it is a boy or not…"

"I too wish to know to whom Raven is expressing such wonderful emotion for. It is not all the time that we see her so very happy." Starfire had flown into the room with yet another unusual decoration for the wall.

"Uh Starfire… what is that?" Before she had a chance to answer, Raven entered the room and seemed to be looking for someone.

Starfire took this chance to finally ask that burning question of hers. "Oh, friend Raven, is it true that you have found a new special someone?"

Raven was taken aback by Starfire's blunt question and gave extreme hesitance to answer. "Uh….."

"Calm down, Starfire, if she wants to tell you she will. Remember what Robin said?" She floated down in disappointment as she nodded to Cyborg. Raven let out a breath of relief that she was saved from that awkward confrontation. She looked about the room a bit more before heading out to leave.

"I do hope we get to meet him soon, Raven!" Cyborg shouted just as she stepped out of the room. She felt the red of her cheeks as she continued to search the tower.

* * *

"So, Whelp, where have you been recently?" Skulker seemed already plastered as Danny entered the celebration hall. The party was already in full swing as ghosts both friend and enemy were chatting and dancing.

"Sorry, Skulker, did you miss me?" He had his normal cocky tone as he addressed the wasted hunter.

"No, but we do miss the portal." Ember who wasn't drunk walked up on them.

"I bet you do."

"How's life these days dipstick?"

Danny gave a weak laugh before responding. "While I can't really say I like it… it hasn't been all bad more recently." She could sense a sadness from him but couldn't place the source.

"Oh isn't that a simply lovely aroma." Spectra had just arrived with Bertrand in toe.

"What took you two so long to get here?"

Spectra took up inspecting her nails as she answered. "Just a little business is all. Of course I almost didn't make it, but now I am glad I did with that lovely bit of misery I felt just now." She flew around the melancholy ghost boy. "I can only imagine what could possibly be the reason behind it."

Skulker placed his arm around the halfa with an uncharacteristic smile. "I heard there was some kind of accident in the human world just before your portal disappeared."

Ember seemed surprised at that. "Who did you hear that from?"

"After the portal disappeared I ran it to the annoying Box Ghost and he said something about it."

Danny's expression grew dark for a moment before he forced a smile on his face. "Don't worry about it, and as for the portal, it seems you guys can't use it to break out anymore which was my intention from the start."

Spectra's smile faded as she could no longer feel his misery. "Well your no fun at all."

"Hello there, dearie, would you like some cake?" Danny looked up to see the Lunch Lady floating behind him with a slice of cake.

"Sure I guess." He reached up and she handed him the plate. "I much prefer this over being chased by a giant pile of meat any day." He then spotted Walker walking past the table of food with a few of his goons. "Hey, Walker."

He turned to him with a pompous glare. "Hey, punk, Merry Christmas."

He began cutting into his cake. "How's the prison these days?"

He shrugged in response as he began adding food to his plate. "Been pretty busy lately. Had a few of my prisoners disappear on me but I'm sure you'll get real familiar with it once I finally get you locked up."

Danny gave him a disbelieving smirk. "I'm sure I will."

Danny really enjoyed the annual party in the ghost zone. It made many of his hated enemies bearable and almost welcoming with their holiday antics. It wouldn't be long before Skulker wouldn't be able to talk straight and then another ghost will start asking random people to dance. Youngblood would eventually start up his pranks as more and more of the ghosts hit the point of a drunken stupor. Last year he had added something to the punch to make it super spicy and even Danny was downing cups of water trying to get relief.

The night went on like that until around 11 pm when Danny decided to get back to the tower. He said his goodbyes to the few ghosts still relatively sober and headed off. "Ghost child! Yur gonna be on miz wall one a des days!" Skulker shook his fist while still trying to keep his balance from the doorway.

"I wouldn't bet on that!"

* * *

Upon his arrival to the tower he found the lights out and it seemed as though the other Titans had already gone to sleep. It made sense considering the crazy party they had planned for the next day. Danny floated up to the roof to continue on a little project of his. He walked over to a large object covered in a tarp. "I hope she likes it…."

He smiled at the thought of the fun he was probably going to have. Normally he would have his parents fighting over the existence of Santa Clause and worry about whether Christmas dinner was going to try and eat them or not, but not this year. This year he would have to get along without his family to be with him… though that's not entirely true is it? Weren't the Titans like his new family? Danny smiled at the thought. "Maybe they are…." His hands glowed blue as he blasted his ice upon the large object.

A little over an hour later Danny heard the door to the roof open. He instantly turned to greet Raven who seemed a bit tired as she walked over to him. "Hey, Raven."

She smiled. "Hey…. I was looking for you earlier."

Danny raised his eyebrow to that. "Didn't I tell you I was going to the Ghost Zone Christmas party?"

She shook her head in response. "Oh…. Sorry about that. I could have sworn I did."

Raven peeked over his shoulder and her eyes went wide. "Is that….."

Danny turned and held his arm out in presentation. "Merry Christmas, Raven." She stared wide eyed at the beautiful ice sculpture of her that stood behind him. It was larger than her by about 4 feet and had her standing in a calm pose with her hand brushing her hair out of her face and her cloak blowing a bit in the wind. "Do you like it?"

"Its… amazing."

Danny took her hand into his. "I was practicing with Frostbite to improve my ice powers. I wanted to make it as realistic as possible, and picked the cutest pose I could think of."

She blushed slightly at his words as she continued to look over the statue. He had indeed put in a lot of detail; even the hair looked to have individual strands. "But I'm just standing there."

Danny gave a lite laugh. "Like you need to do anything else to look cute?"

Raven turned her gaze to the floor as her face burned redder. "I-I…"

Danny grabbed her other hand and turned her to face him. She looked up for a moment and saw his toxic green eyes gazing at her without even so much as a flinch. "I hope you don't actually think I'm telling you this for kicks."

She couldn't keep her eyes on his and she turned her head away a bit. "I don't but…."

"What?"

"I…"

Danny let out an amused sigh. "Raven." She turned back to him again and was surprised when he pulled her in for a kiss. She felt her mind go blank as the seconds seemed to stretch on before they finally parted. She remained silent a moment with her head in a downward angle before they both heard a crack. They both turned to see the statue's upper half crumble down to the floor before them.

Raven instantly became flustered knowing it was her powers that caused it. "I'm sorry, Danny I-"

Danny pressed a finger against her lips to cut her off. "Its fine. You saw it and you liked it. That's all that matters to me." She nodded and he pulled his finger away. He let go of her hands with a lite green blush on his face. "You should go back to sleep. I still need to set up for the morning and I want you to be as surprised as everyone else when you see it."

She nodded silently as she turned to leave. "Goodnight…." Once inside the tower again she leaned against the wall and touched at her lips. Her cheeks burned hot as she remembered the kiss from only moments before. She hadn't expected it at all; she couldn't help but enjoy the feeling it gave her. It had been too long since she had felt that happy, far too long. She then made her way down the hall with thoughts of it floating through her mind.

* * *

The next morning was an early one for the Titans as even Beast Boy had gotten up early. He was the second to last to join the group in the living room while Cyborg cooked up some breakfast. He made his way over and sat with three other Titans at the bar while also looking around for their missing comrade. "Hey….. where's Danny?" He rubbed some sleep out of his eye as he waited for a response.

"He hasn't come in this morning yet, but I'm sure he won't be long. After all, he said he was going to be up first thing with what he had planned for today." Robin then began to dig in to the food Cyborg had just placed in front of him.

"Yeah, I can't wait to see it." Cyborg then started to whistle as he continued to scramble a few more eggs while dawned in his usual chief ensemble.

"Oh friends! The falling of the icy flakes has begun outside!" Starfire was ecstatic as she flew over to the window.

Both Cyborg and Robin traded confused glances. "It wasn't supposed to snow today was it?"

Cyborg shrugged in response. "I heard it was supposed to rain, but since when is the Weather Man ever right?"

"Awesome! Who's up for a snowball fight after Breakfast!?" Beast Boy began to shovel his food into his mouth at a crazy pace out of excitement.

"Um friends…. Something is most peculiar about this snow…."

Robin walked over to look out the window. "What are you talking about Star-" He stopped mid sentence once he noticed what she was talking about. "Uh Cy… you're going to want to check this out…."

He put down his hat and spatula and walked over to the two of them. "What's up?"

Robin pointed out towards the city. "Is it me or is the snow only falling around the tower?"

Cyborg took a good look and saw that the city didn't seem to have any snow build up like what they had on their little island; what's more is that even the water around it seemed to be frozen over. "What the…..?"

Raven and Beast Boy joined them by the window with only Raven not sharing in their incredibly confused expressions. She instead wore one of amazement. She didn't think Danny's ice powers could do so much.

Robin then seemed to notice something off near the base of the tower. "What is that?" They all followed his gaze to the bottom to see several unusual structures.

Starfire's excitement came back as she flew towards the door. "Let us go and investigate friends!" Robin was hot on her heals followed by the other three.

"This is crazy!"

Once outside their eyes grew even wider at the scenery around them. Trees, castles, statues of various kinds all stood before them and all of them were made of ice. Starfire jumped up in a childlike wonder as she approached one of the many statues. It bore a similar resemblance to a kind of snow monster but wore a welcoming expression. "Does the ice of your planet craft itself into such marvels often?"

Robin couldn't help but be amused by her question. "No, Star. Someone must have made these."

He rubbed his chin in thought just as a snowball flew out of nowhere and beaned Beast Boy square in the face. "Okay who threw that cause it's on!" He shouted while wiping his face.

"You think you can take me?" Danny jumped up from behind a mound of snow with another snowball in hand.

"Whoa, dude! I didn't know you were even up yet."

Danny gave him a playful smirk as he tossed the snowball around in his hand. "I've been up for hours actually."

Robin raised his brow at Danny. "Did you see where all this snow came from?" He then looked up to the clouds which only seemed to snow over their tower. "And where those snow clouds came from?"

Danny's playful smirk grew wider as he raised his brow to the boy wonder. "I was the only one out here all morning."

It took Robin a moment to understand what Danny was trying to get across but when he realized his insinuation his eyes grew wide in amazement. "You made all of this?"

Beast Boy's jaw dropped. "No way, dude!"

Cyborg was just as astonished as his green friend. "I didn't know you could do this!"

"Its actually a relatively new power so I was taking some time to practice it a bit before I actually used it for something. This seemed to be the perfect time to test it out." He then grinned widely as he looked at the snowball in his hands and then back to Robin. "Think fast, Robin!"

He hurled the snow as fast as he could but Robin's highly attuned reflexes helped him to dodge. "Nice try, Phantom!" He returned Danny's playful expression as he scooped up some snow of his own.

"Hey, dude! Is this a slide!?" Beast Boy gazed up at the top of the tower where it seemed to originate in a twisting pattern around it.

"Yeah, give it a whirl. It'll hold anything you can give it." He flew up to the top and slid down in the form off a polar bear with his paws raised to the sky. Upon hitting the ground he was greeted by a large snow ball thrown by a rather suspicious looking Cyborg.

He changed back and shook it off. "Oh, you're getting it now!" The boys began exchanging snowballs left and right while Starfire watched in bliss. Raven seemed to smile at the scene but had no intention of getting involved herself.

"Want to try the ice?"

Danny startled her as he placed a hand on her shoulder and she couldn't help but remember their exchange last night. "Oh I…."

Danny pulled her towards the frozen ocean. "Come on. I bet you've never ice skated before." At the shore he kneeled down and used his ice powers to form blades on the bottoms of her shoes. He then lifted each of his feet and did the same.

Starfire flew over in curiosity at what he was doing. "Friend Danny, what is it you are doing?"

He looked up to the Tamaranien with a smile. "Want to try? We're going to skate on the ice." She nodded in a bit of confusion. "Here, let me see your shoes a minute." She floated so that he could get to her feet and crafted blades on them. "Now just watch me." Danny floated onto the ice and began to skate around in circles and all other directions. "You try!"

Starfire was more than happy to try it though, she had a hard time keeping her balance at first, she was soon able to skate around easily. "What fun!"

Danny skated back over to the shore to Raven. "Come on."

He held out his hand for hers. "I-I don't know….. I've really never skated before."

Danny grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the ice, careful to make sure she didn't fall. "Then why don't you give it a try?" He held her hand as she started to gain her balance along the slick surface of the ice. "See? You're doing fine."

Robin looked on from the shore line, getting a break due to Cyborg and Beast Boy going at it by themselves. He watched as Danny showed Raven how to skate and the way they seemed to act around each other. He could easily notice the happy expression on her face which he had been seeing so much of recently. He then thought back to the ice rose and a smile spread across his face as he walked over to join his girlfriend and the other couple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I hope you enjoyed that! I also hope I didn't make them too OOC but do take into account Danny's age and Raven's newly acquired openness alright! I want them to be a couple but not an obvious one which is why the others hadn't caught on yet. (Though now Robin had) There were some important plot points sprinkled in there, and next time an uninvited guest shows up.=^-^=


	11. Ultimatum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Destruction or surrender?

It had been a few more weeks since the Titans winter holiday and things had only gotten better for Danny. He and Raven seemed to be closer than ever though they weren't very open about their relationship with the other titans. As far as they knew, no one else had caught on to them. Danny was relaxing on the couch in the main room reading a book on star maps while Raven was reading one of her ancient books.

To the average onlooker they seemed like two quiet book worms, but in reality they were using Raven's telepathy to talk. Any unexplained laughter to Beast Boy, who was playing games, Danny blamed on the book while Raven didn't have as much of a problem. Beast Boy was used to this by now and never dug further than a simple query on what was so funny.

Cyborg entered the room stifling a laugh as he clutched his ribs. "You guys will never guess what I just saw!"

Beast Boy instantly paused the game and leaned over the couch. "What?"

He struggled to contain it as he explained. "Well I was lookin for Robin and when I couldn't find him in his room I headed down here but I passed Star's room on the way and saw him exiting with his clothes all messed up. When I asked him what he was doing, Starfire came out with this sexy expression saying, "You are coming right back yes?" and then they both ducked back into the room the minute she saw me." Beast Boy joined in on the laugh as Cyborg couldn't contain himself anymore.

Danny set down his book with a smile. "Yeah, I interrupted them once though I doubt they noticed me. I make a note not to phase through her room anymore." Cyborg and Beast Boy started to laugh even harder as they both fell over clutching their sides.

They stopped when they heard someone clearing their throat and turned to see a red faced Robin. "Could we not broadcast that sort of thing?"

Cyborg wiped a tear from his eye as he looked at the bird boy. "Oh come on, you have to admit that whole thing was funny."

Robin looked away in embarrassment from the two laughing teens. "For you maybe…" His mumble went unheard to all but one halfa who was the closest to him.

Danny looked to Raven and passed her a thought which she instantly picked up on. _"And that's why I'm all for a more private relationship." "I agree with you there."_ The laughing finally ended with the sounding of the tower alarm.

Robin jumped into action as he brought the alert up on the screen. It displayed people fleeing in terror and once Robin saw what they were running from his jaw dropped along with the others. Danny was even shocked at the sight as monstrous skeletons walked the streets, armed to the teeth, scaring everyone in sight. Cyborg traded glances with his teammates. "Tell me I'm not the only one seeing skeletons attacking the city."

Beast Boy was viciously rubbing his hair. "No, dude, cause I seem 'em too!"

Raven looked to Danny who was also in a state of disbelief but seemed it was a bit different than the others. "Danny?" She was getting a feeling of dread from him as she approached. "Do you know what these things are?"

He nodded silently and Robin noticed. "Well?"

"They are the army of the ghost king….. but that's not possible….. he's still sealed up…."

Beast Boy raised his brow at that. "Ghosts have a king?"

"Not anymore and that's why these guys should still be asleep."

Robin went over a bit more data from the screen. "So they're ghosts then?"

"Yeah though not very powerful to be honest. They have the numbers though."

"Then I guess we should get out there and widdle then down then." Cyborg punched his fist into his other hand.

Robin turned away from the monitor. "Titans go!"

* * *

Danny started out the attack by blasting away at the first few they came across. Each Titan took down the ones that straggled behind until they got to the heart of the crowd of skeletons. "Alright Titans let's move." They broke apart and started through the numbers with each Titan now equipped with a bit of Fenton Work's tech.

Danny had long since supplied each member aside from Raven with a weapon to their own skills for fighting ghosts. To Robin he gave an ecto-quarter staff, Cyborg got an ecto power up to his own sonic cannon and both Starfire and Beast Boy received a pair of ghost gloves. They plowed through the relatively weak ghosts rather easily with their new upgrades and it seemed that after a few minutes the number of skeletons had dwindled to a few dozen. Bones piled up all around as they were decimated left and right.

"Danny was right, these guys are real small fry!" Cyborg was giddy as he struck down another skeleton with his cannon.

"It's not over yet, Cyborg!" Robin just took down two of them with a pleased smirk on his face. Beast Boy, now morphed into a gorilla, grabbed two of them and started to swing them around wildly.

Danny flew over his teammates in worry as he saw just how easy this fight seemed. "Something's not right here…."

"What's wrong, friend Danny?" Starfire stopped mid punch to see her worried friend.

"This is too easy…"

Raven flew over to him. "They didn't expect we could fight back."

Danny shook his head. "No…. even if that were the case, they should know I could take them down, even if it would take me awhile." He pointed to the thermos on his back. "I could've just sucked them all into the thermos given the right distraction."

Beast Boy raised a brow. "You mean the soup can?"

Danny sighed at Beast Boy's all too common reaction, but let it go. "That's not the point. What is, is that there's definitely something odd about this whole thing."

Robin, still in a defensive position, couldn't help but agree. "Yeah and didn't you say this was a deposed king's army? What are they doing here of all places?"

"That's what I'm worried about."

"AS YOU SHOULD!" A horse whinny was heard next with a slight echo to it. The Titans searched all around for the source of the sound until they all caught a common figure. An ominous being riding on some transmogrified alicorn was heading their way at an alarming speed. His eyes glowed in an eerie fashion and it seemed his body was dressed in flames.

Danny instantly became apprehensive upon sighting him. "What are you doing here, Fright Knight!?"

He glided down closer to them before he spoke again. "I am here for you, ghost child! By order of the high council of Observants, you are to be brought before them!"

Though he was a bit terrified of what that entailed he was more confused at the matter. "Since when are you a gofer for the Observants?"

The question got an agitated rise out of the new specter but only a short one. "That matters not! I am simply to bring you to them as soon as possible."

Danny scoffed at his lacking answer. "Sorry to break this to you, but I don't really get along with them, not that it should surprise you at all."

Fright Knight laughed at his arrogance. "No, it surprises me little, but you speak as if you have a choice in the matter!" The Knight rushed forward with his blade drawn.

He was struck back by a decisive blow from Robin who was launched into the air by Starfire. "Sorry, but you attack one Titan, you attack them all!"

The ghost was quick to steady his horse from the surprise attack. He looked upon the other Titans with little worry. "I find it rather odd that one halfa would have so many human allies while the other had no one at all. Regardless though, you shall be coming with me or it shall come down to force."

Beast Boy looked around and laughed at the piles of bones. "You and what army, Knight dude!" If the Fright Knight could smile he certainly would be now as he snapped his fingers. The bones rushed up and started to reassemble his vast army on command.

Cyborg boxed the green teen in the arm in agitation. "Why did you have to say that!?"

He cried out in his defense. "Like I'm supposed to know they can do that?!"

Robin then stepped forward as the leader he is. "You can take your army and leave. Danny isn't going anywhere!"

The knight chuckled at the human. "Foolish human! You know not of what you ask! If you truly wish to be felled by my blade then so be it!" He raised the Soul Shredder high as to strike him down.

"Whatever you do, don't let him even nick you with that sword!"

Robin deftly dodged and made a swing at him with his staff. "I wasn't planning on it!" Starfire joined her boyfriend in the attack though she could not seem to hit him.

"Hey, Danny, what's with this guy anyway!?" Cyborg launched his cannon at a few of the surrounding skeletons poised to strike.

Danny joined him in his attack before turning to the Fright Knight. "He's the Fright Knight, spirit of Halloween. He used to be the first knight of the ghost king a few years ago." Danny flew up and blasted him from behind and then froze Nightmare, his steed.

The knight fell to the ground with rage as he held his sword up. "You shall pay dearly for that, ghost child!" He swung down his blade and Danny parried with an ice staff he made on the fly. Robin took his chance and swung his staff down on him from behind initializing an instant retaliation. It caught the boy wonder off guard with how fast he could move as he dodged several jabs until he lost his footing on a pile of skeleton bones.

Beast Boy, who was attacking the horde nearby, saw him under attack and immediately jumped in to help him. "I gotcha, Robin!" He was able to help him regain his footing in time for the boy wonder to dodge but poor Beast Boy's reflexes were not as adept as Robin's as he quickly found the Soul Shredder planted through his chest. "Oh crap!" He looked on in horror as the blade came out though it confused both him and Robin when there appeared to be no wound. "What th-"

He disappeared in a flash causing Robin to raise alarm. "Beast Boy!"

Star gasped as she saw him disappear and flew over to Robin. "Where did friend Beast Boy go!?"

Danny blasted at the pleased Fright Knight from behind. "He's still alive, Robin!" They were now in a match of strength as Danny held back the sword from himself with his bare hands. "The sword doesn't kill its victims. They are transported to a dimension where they are forced to live out their greatest fear." He struggled against the might of the specter though neither seemed to gain an inch.

"You're stronger then I remember, boy, but it will not be enough!" As he made for a push against Danny he was stopped as he we enveloped by a dark energy. "What is this!?"

Raven floated above them with rage evident on her face. "You're going to bring him back now!"

"Damn you, Sorceress! Release me at once!"

Danny glared at him. "No! You're going to bring back Beast Boy and then you're going to leave. Take your creepy army with you!"

The knight seemed even more enraged at the order as he enveloped himself in an otherworldly flame. "INSOLENCE!" Raven struggled to hold him under his strength but her grip weakened and finally broke. She floated down to the ground and took a knee from the exhaustion of holding him. The fiery specter held his sword down with both hands and plunged it into the earth. "You leave me little choice!" Danny recognized the stance all too well as he plunged the blade into the earth. The Fright Knight laughed as he saw the look of terror on the halfa's face. "Now I give you an ultimatum! You either come with me willingly or I shall send this city into the depths of the ghost world!"

All the Titans wore shock on their faces though Danny's was more of terror and Raven's similar due to the fact she knew what he was talking about. Robin made a move forward but Danny stopped him. "Don't!"

Robin seemed confused. "What's going on, Phantom!?"

Danny furrowed his brow as he thought over the choice he was given. He could either doom Jump City to the depths of the Ghost Zone on the off chance they could defeat the Fright Knight, his army, and the ghosts that would jump on the opportunity to terrorize the city, or he could surrender and end the fight right now maybe to figure something else out once they are safely away from the city. "Well, boy? What shall it be!?"

Danny looked over the expressions of his new friends and sighed as he made his decision. "You'll bring back Beast Boy as well?"

Still holding his hands firmly on the hilt of his sword he responded in a victorious manner. "That can be arranged." Danny then floated over to him and laid his hands out in a subservient manner much to the dismay of the other Titans.

"What are you doing!?" Robin shouted with Starfire to cry out next.

"You mustn't go with him, friend Danny!"

"Yo! What are you thinking, man!?"

Danny ignored the cries of all but one Titan. This one was silent and limited to only his mind's interpretation. _"What are you doing, Danny!? How could you just give up like this!?"_

Danny turned his gaze to look at her and thought back. _"I'm not giving up, I'm just improvising. If he brings this city into the Ghost Zone then it will just be what happened in Amity Park when the ghost king attacked, only worse. I have better odds this way and you know enough to know this without me telling you."_

The Fright Knight raised one hand to order his soldiers to bind Danny's hands with a ghostly chain. "Finally!"

He then gestured to the rest of the soldiers not holding Phantom and they disappeared. He pulled out his sword, mounted his horse and was prepared to leave before Danny stopped him. "What about Beast Boy!?"

The Fright Knight scoffed at the boy. "Of course…" He pointed his blade to the ground and a beam of energy shot out. The energy next took on the form of Beast Boy curled up in the fetal position muttering to himself. "There! We will not be delayed for anything else!"

The ghost skeletons holding Danny flew up dragging him along behind them and the Fright Knight. They headed towards a small portal high above the city. Danny was almost kicking himself for not noticing the portal earlier but a large skeletal army is pretty distracting. The last thing he heard before going through the portal was a fleeting thought from Raven. _"You're not alone in this….."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine what comes next is pretty obvious, no?=^-^=


	12. Titans in the Zone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Teen Titans have a close encounter with the Ghost Zone.

The Titans watched from the disrupted streets as the strange swirling mass disappeared behind them. Silence layered in the group as the full implications of what had just happened was realized by all the Titans. Cyborg let out a whistle of disbelief at the whole situation. "I just want to clarify….. did all that really just happen?"

Robin put away his staff and punched his hand. "Yes! And we couldn't do anything about it!"

Starfire flew down to calm her boyfriend. "I'm sure that Danny knows what he is doing."

Robin ripped his shoulder from her grasp. "That idiot! He can't just take all of this on his own! He's part of a team!"

Raven then took a position by the still out of it Beast Boy. "He was right though." She leaned down and tried to snap him out of his panic. "Wake up, Beast Boy!"

"I got this, Raven." Cyborg kneeled down and pulled out a can of shaving cream. The other Titans looked on in curiosity as they also wondered where it had come from and why he was carrying it. He shook it up and shifted the aim towards Raven, making sure that Beast Boy could see.

He laid down a quick layer on the face of a very surprised Raven and the green teen quickly responded with a hoarse laugh. "D-dude that was funny!" Raven was unamused as she stood up and used her powers to remove the white substance from her face.

"Oh, Beast Boy, you are unharmed!?" Starfire looked down at her friend as he sat up.

Robin was looking at Cyborg in confusion. "How did you know that would work?"

"I figured it was like Mad Mod's hypno-screens. He was spaced out and all."

Beast Boy rubbed his face as he took in the fact that he was indeed back in his city of Jump. "I just had the worst nightmare ever!" He shook a bit as regaled but a small piece of it. "Everything was made of meat and ate meat even the plants!"

Raven replaced her hood on her head as she floated up towards the tower. "A dimension of one's worst fear sounds accurate then."

"Hey, Raven, where are you going?" Cyborg inquired.

"Yeah…. Unless you have a plan?" Robin walked over to her. "I could only assume Danny told you about something. You said a minute ago that he was right didn't you?" The other Titans looked at her with questioning expressions.

Raven nodded as she turned back to the tower. "Yes… I'm sure you heard the ghost's threat?"

Robin raised his brow. "The one where he said he would destroy the city?"

She shook her head. "No he said he would send it into the ghost dimension. Danny gave himself up to prevent that from happening."

Robin traded glances with the other titans. "The ghost dimension? So that's where they went just now?"

She nodded as she started to move again. "And we're going after him."

Cyborg scratched his head. "And how do you plan to do that? The portal thing disappeared remember?"

"That's not the problem." She didn't say anything else before she took off towards the tower. Her comrades were more than a little confused, but followed anyway. They didn't have any other leads to speak of and this was as good as any.

* * *

Back in the tower most of the Titans took a few minutes to regain themselves before meeting Raven in the Living room. Beast Boy, now looking much less terrified, was the last to enter and as soon as he did Raven got up. "Let's go."

Robin ran up and walked next to her. "What exactly are we doing?"

Without even turning in his direction she answered. "We're going to go get him."

That surprised everyone. "What!?"

"Yeah, Raven. Did you forget about the portal disappearing again?"

She didn't turn to her cybernetic friend as she responded. "That doesn't mean there isn't another way in."

"Then this is a rescue mission for the rescue of fellow Titan Danny?" She nodded silently as they stopped in front of Danny's room. She opened the door without a word and the lights flickered on. There were a few surprised stares to scan the room upon entering.

"I didn't know Danny had all this stuff." Beast Boy made his way over to a shelf and began picking up a few various things one being another thermos. "Dude, it's one of those soup thermoses he was wearing today." He took off the lid to look inside only to see it empty. As he inspected the container he found a button which when he pressed it displayed the word release. "Oops…."

A blue figure emerged from the thermos. "Ah-ha! I am free! You were foolish to think your pathetic cylindrical trap could hold me, THE BOX GHOST!"

Cyborg gave Beast Boy a knock in the head. "Look what you did!" The ghost didn't have time to do much of anything before he met the cynical glare of Raven. He instantly cowered and let out one last "Beware!" before phasing through the ceiling.

"Beast Boy, stop touching things!" Beast Boy carefully placed the thermos back on the shelf before hunching over like a reprimanded puppy.

"What are we doing in here Raven?" Robin was very confused when she opened his closet. Cyborg peeked inside as the light came on. "That's funny… I thought this one was bigger."

Beast Boy squeezed by the large Titan to see for himself. "Are you kidding? This closet's bigger than mine!" Raven stepped inside and pressed another switch that opened up the back of the closet to reveal the DP emblem emblazoned on the back wall.

Raven pointed to a panel on the side of the back wall. "Do you think you can get it open, Cyborg?" Though still quite a bit confused by Raven's actions he stepped forward and opened the panel to reveal a key pad.

He raised an eyebrow as he looked it over. "What's this all about?"

Raven stood behind him with a look of determination. "He tends to be private about what he does in his room. I doubt he's told anyone about it."

Cyborg linked up with the panel and typed away at the interface on his arm. "About what?" As if on cue the doors opened and bathed them all in a swirling green light.

"Whoa….." Beast Boy's mouth dropped open and it was followed by that of Cyborg. Robin's eyes grew wide as he looked at the eerie light.

"Friend Danny has a most interesting storing room for the clothes." Raven took the lead as she stepped forward through the light.

The other Titans traded glances as they too stepped forward with Robin in the lead. "Let's go." When they stepped through the portal they all looked around to find they were inside some sort of cavern.

"Dude…. Where are we?"

Cyborg looked at his arm for some kind of confirmation. "I don't have a clue, BB."

Robin turned slightly and his eyes fell on Raven who was heading towards another source of light other than the portal. He was a bit frustrated with all of the questions building in his mind. What was this portal? Did it lead to the ghost world? Did Danny tell Raven…. But why not us? He knew very well they were in a relationship, but he had no idea of the secrets they held with each other. Before he could question her on these, however, he heard a low growl. Beast Boy grabbed Cyborg in a tight hug as he cowered in fear of the red eyes glaring in their direction from the dark shadows. "Dudes! We're not alone!"

Starfire lit up a starbolt to reveal the large, vicious green dog that was now glaring down on them. "Uh…. Nice doggy….?"

Cyborg was now just as apprehensive as Beast Boy as he wrapped his arms around the green teen. "Uh, Robin….. we have a problem over here." He lifted one of his arms to form his sonic cannon while Robin pulled out his quarter staff posed to attack.

"Wait!" Raven made her way to block their path to the dog. "Down, Cujo!" The dog eyed her warily before it approached close enough to sniff her. His menacing glare softened into a happy pant as he licked her face, much to her displeasure. He sat down with his tail wagging letting out a few barks as he did so.

Beast Boy let go of Cyborg and looked at the scene in confusion. "Way weird… when did you get good with animals?" The giant dog looked at them in curiosity as Raven scratched his chin just like Danny had shown her before.

"He's not a normal dog." Cujo barked and shrank down to size, proceeding next to jump into her arms.

"He is adorable!" Starfire flew over with haste to greet the adorable little green dog. She moved to pet him but he growled at her before she could. "Eep!"

Raven laughed a bit. "He does that to everyone according to Danny."

Beast Boy gave her a perplexed frown. "What's with you lately? You've been way too happy and now you just laughed at a puppy!"

"Calm down, Beast Boy, I don't think Raven's recent mood change is important right now."

Robin stepped forward with a serious expression. "Cyborg's right. We're supposed to be saving Danny not playing with a dog."

Raven set Cujo down and nodded. "He's right, let's go." Raven led them out of the cavern and all of their jaws dropped at the sight that was the expanse of the ghost zone.

"Whoa….. again." Beast Boy looked like he was going to pass out and cyborg couldn't have opened his mouth wider if he modified it to do so.

"So this is…" Robin started as he looked to Raven. "It's the Ghost Zone, where all the ghosts live."

* * *

Danny was let into the main hall of the observants by Fright Knight still baring the chains that held him captive. He immediately felt a swarm of eyes on him as he was guided into the center where another very familiar figure stood. "What are you doing here!?"

He gave a pompous laugh. "I would like to direct that question to you, Daniel."

"Silence!" The chains were stripped from his wrists and a barrier was put up around them. "You are both here, accused of conspiring against the ghost zone as a whole!" The two captives traded glances as they took in all of the single eyed stares of their judges.

* * *

"Where are we going!?" Beast Boy cried as he morphed back to normal now that he found a piece of land to stand on. Raven looked around the area until she spotted the familiar door. "This way." She pointed towards it but none of the other Titans understood what she really meant. "Danny told me there was a library in this direction that held information on almost everything. If we look there we might find out more of who these Observants are and where they took him away to." Raven flew off in that direction, keeping a platform up made of her magic for cyborg while Starfire held Robin.

"So how much do you know about this place?" Robin searched around at the seemingly endless void.

"To be honest…. Not much. He took me to meet a friend of his several weeks ago but aside from that I never left that cave entrance."

Cyborg rubbed his chin. "Kinda makes me wonder how this place works….." He took a good look around. "I can spot like 5 natural laws its breaking without even really looking."

"It is a most interesting place….. is it where Danny lived?"

Raven shook her head. "I don't think so. He lived in the human world for sure." Raven stopped when she noticed the building coming into view. "I think this is it."

Beast Boy crossed his arms. "It better be after you nearly bit my head off for opening one of those doors." Raven turned to glare at him and he whimpered a bit while transforming into a hawk. Raven arrived at the stone steps of the literary building first, letting Cyborg off as she landed.

He scrutinized the building. "It looks so normal for a building floating in a green void."

"That's not to say it's normal on the inside." Starfire let her boyfriend down and took a spot next to him. Just as Raven was about to open the door they all started to hear a low motorized noise. As they searched the area they traced it to just behind the building and it seemed to be heading in their direction. Seconds later a motorcycle could be scene over head as it had just jumped over the building and was headed for a stretch of land several yards away. Beast Boy dodged in midair almost colliding with the vehicle as it launched through the spectral sky. "Johnny! Watch where you're going!"

"The bird can get out of the way first!" The bike skidded to a halt as it turned to the side on the long stretch of rock it landed on. Johnny looked at Kitty and directed her attention to the strange intruders with a nudge of his head. The Titans watched as the two assumed ghosts stepped off the bike with looks of curiosity.

Beast Boy morphed back into his humanoid form and broke the ice, as it were, mostly due to the fact he was mad about almost getting run over in the air. "Hey! Watch where you drive that thing!"

Johnny smirked at him. "You got a problem, pipsqueak?"

Beast Boy was taken aback by his attitude while mumbling under his breath. "Pipsqueak?"

Johnny laughed at him. "This is my territory, my road and anything on it is gonna get run down!"

Robin approached the two ghostly teens. With a calm composure often found in his negotiations, he spoke to them. "Just hold on a second. We weren't trying to muscle in on your territory, we're only here because we're looking for someone."

Kitty pat Johnny's back to try and get him to back off. She was usually the more sensible one of the couple; never really out to terrorize unless she was in a bad mood. "Calm down, Johnny." She turned to Robin. "You're going to have to excuse him. You said you were looking for someone?"

She had a pleasant demeanor and Robin took it as a sign she was not hostile. "Yeah, were looking for the Observants. They took away a friend of ours."

She looked at him a bit confused until she finally got a solid look at him and was shocked. "You're from the human world aren't you?"

Johnny cut her off before she could get her answer. "That's obvious if they're actually looking for those jerks."

She gave him an agitated glare before turning back to the Titan. "Though he's not too nice about it, he's right. You have to be from the human world. The Observants have their own realm and entry is restricted to a chosen few."

Johnny rolled his eyes. "They consider themselves 'in charge'. What a load of crap. They're so full of it ever since the ghost king was sealed up the first time."

His girlfriend scoffed at him. "Like you've been around that long?" She then turned back to the Titan again. "Anyway, getting there is even more impossible for humans."

"This friend of yours must have really pissed them off if they went to the human world to get him."

Johnny laughed a bit as he said that getting a rise out of Starfire. "Friend Phantom has done nothing wrong! The Knight of Frights is a horr-"

"Whoa, Phantom?! You guys are friends with Phantom!?" Johnny wore a sour look as he asked his question in shock.

Raven was instantly interested in what he was insinuating. "You know him?" She approached with her standard poker face.

"Yeah I know him! He trashed my bike last time I went through his portal." He crossed his arms wearing a scowl. "I've been wanting to get him back but the portal disappeared a few months ago."

Kitty sighed at his one track mind. All he ever cared about was that stupid bike of his. "Actually, it was turned on again. Ember told me she thought she saw him when she went through it a few hours ago."

Johnny turned to his girlfriend in a pitch of anger. "Why didn't you tell me!?"

"What? So you can go out and flirt with human girls again?" She snubbed him and turned away.

"Oh come on, Kitty, you know you're the only girl for me." She rolled her eyes at his overused defense.

Raven was getting a bit impatient with their stupid couple antics. "Where is this portal?" She was calm but her words still sounded razor sharp.

"If you want to look yourself, it's that way. You can follow Johnny's riding track and it goes by pretty close. It's a big metal frame." Raven seemed pleased at the information but didn't show it on the surface. She flew off along the road and the other Titans immediately followed.

Johnny hopped back on his bike and Kitty took a seat behind him. "Those must be the friends that Ember and Skulker were talking about." Kitty responded while thinking back. "Considering how plastered he was I'm surprised he turned out to be right."

Johnny couldn't help but smile as he thought about Raven. "Yeah and I got to say that spooky chick was interesting. Phantom sure has a type doesn't he?" Kitty laughed at his point, knowing all too well of his taste in girls.

* * *

The Titans followed the track just as Kitty said and were all equally surprised at the course it took, looping all around and through random rings. "This is one weird bike trail…." Beast Boy eyed the upcoming loops confusingly.

"That is, unless your bike can go up vertical walls." Cyborg added in dryly. Robin followed the track while deep in thought.

"I wish to be paying one penny for your thoughts, Robin." Starfire landed at his side and he turned to her with his serious expression.

"It's just…. Phantom. This whole ghost army has got me even more confused about him." Raven instantly caught their conversation but only listened just as the other Titans.

"Is there something you do not like?"

Robin shook his head, realizing he may have sounded a bit harsh about him. "No, of course not. I'm just confused about him that's all." He looked up at the intrigued expressions of his fellow titans. "Whenever I ask him something I always get the feeling he's keeping something important to himself."

Raven spoke up. "I know it's your thing, but stop. I told you before, everyone has secrets."

Robin sighed. "I know. You told me before, I just can't help it. There are too many questions coming up about this whole situation. Why would these other ghosts be after him? Why did he have an inter-dimensional portal in his closet and why didn't he come back to the tower when he escaped?"

Raven stopped her advance and turned to him. "I'm not sure about the escape or the reason why the Observants wanted him, but he got the portal from Plasmius."

Robin's eyes went wide. "That's what he sent him?! Why!?"

Raven shook her head. "It's not for me to say, they have a very complicated relationship from what I can understand. Just ask him yourself when we find him."

Robin, though hesitant, nodded in understanding. He knew that he was very similar to Raven and that he kept things about himself secret. Danny deserved the privacy if he wanted him to fully trust the team.

Starfire didn't take it as well as Robin, however, as her face fell to a frown. "Danny does not trust us?"

Robin turned to console his girlfriend. "I'm sure he does, Star, but Raven is right. Everyone has secrets, and if he wants to tell us he will."

She seemed happier but it was obviously still weighing on her mind. "Then we must find him." She stated with a smile as she pushed ahead.

"Don't know about y'all but I'm way more curious to find out how he escaped by himself! I mean that guy had an army of the undead."

"Dude!" They all turned in the direction of Beast Boy. "Check out the ghost ship!" He pointed over to a separate floating land mass with an eerie, rundown, green ship sitting lop sided on it. Beast Boy flew over and started his inspection. "This thing is way cool!" He reached out to touch it but was startled when his arm went right through. "Whoa!"

"What is it, BB?" Cyborg shouted to his friend.

"My arm just passed right through the ship!"

Cyborg scratched his head. "Well, it is a ghost ship, right?"

Beast Boy walked into it but came out after only a few minutes. "Too bad nobody's home!" He flew back over to the rest of them. "The whole thing is empty and there's a huge hole where it fell on a boulder."

Robin looked at the ship in thought. "If it could pass through you why not the boulder?"

Beast Boy shrugged. "Heck if I know."

Robin then started back on the path. "Let's go. I'm hoping Danny can fill us in on what's up."

* * *

After half an hour or so one of them finally spotted the metal frame that Kitty mentioned. "Robin, I have located the door!" She floated next to the octagonal portal in a curious manner. Raven used her powers to create a platform for Robin and Cyborg to stand as she floated up to join the others.

Cyborg inspected the heavy metal doors. "How are we going to get in? There doesn't seem to be an interface on this side."

Robin took a minute to think while Starfire decided to knock. "Hello! Friend Danny? Are you within!?"

Beast Boy morphed to normal on Raven's platform. "Somehow I don't think it'll be that easy, Starfire." He was proven wrong when the doors did open much to the surprise of all but Starfire. She clapped her hands in delight as she flew through, followed quickly by the others. They found themselves in what appeared to be a cluttered lab.

Many of the machines within were draped in sheets and the tables had messes all over them. Dust was evident on closer inspection and it seemed under used in more recent days. "Who are you and what do you want!?" Their eyes fell on a figure of all too familiar appearance. His glowing eyes cut at them as he readied for a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is that Danny? Maybe, maybe not.=^-^=


	13. More Questions than Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains three Phantoms.

They looked at the figure and were all confused by his words. Raven was more shocked then anyone as she watched Danny's hands light up in defense. "What are you talking about, Danny?"

Starfire spoke up next. "Yes, friend Danny. Why do you act as if you do not know us!?" Danny's face became confused as he lowered his hands.

Robin stepped forward. "What happened to you?" As he approached closer he noticed something incredibly off about their friend though Raven seemed to notice first.

She raised her hands to attack. "Who are you and why do you look like that!?" She sounded more angry than usual which was obvious to all though the reason not quite clear to most of them.

Danny then smirked and gave a laugh in a voice now obviously not of Danny Phantom. "Perceptive aren't you?" He laughed again. "You're right, I'm not him, but I did have you convinced even if it was short lived."

All but Robin and Raven listened in immense confusion. "Dude! What's going on here!?"

"You got me, man….." Cyborg crossed his arms as he thought it over.

Robin reached to his belt. "You better answer before this gets physical!"

The impostor raised his hands in a defensive manner. "Now hold on there. I'm not the fighting type. I merely borrowed his form to scare other ghosts away from the portal." His form then grew hazy as it twisted to form another figure. He wore a hat, trench coat and sunglasses. He had little other distinguishing features aside from his ghostly tail as he swung his cane around. "That better?"

Robin lifted his hand from his belt. "So where are we?"

The ghost turned his head. "You are in the human world of course. Phantom's portal has always led here…. Didn't you know?" He floated closer to them and lifted a hand to his not very prominent chin. "You're not ghosts… What were you doing in the ghost zone?"

"We we're looking for our friend called Danny who was seen coming here."

"Ah, well Dani's upstairs actually." All of the Titans' eyes widened in surprise and Raven took off for the stairs to confirm his claim.

Robin scrutinized the ghost further before following the other Titans who were right behind Raven. "Exactly what are you doing here? You obviously don't live here."

He placed both hands on the ball of his cane as he responded. "Just repaying a favor; by the way, Dani's not the only one up there so your friends should be careful."

* * *

Upstairs Raven walked through the underused kitchen as she looked around. This place seemed familiar to her but she couldn't place where she had seen it before. The room transitioned to a more open space that she was able to easy discern as the living room. "Danny?"

"Have you located our friend yet?" Starfire flew to her side with Beast Boy and Cyborg just behind her.

"Not yet….." She took a good look around and found herself at the base of some stairs. She looked to the second story curiously but before she could move Beast Boy shouted. "I found someone!" She rushed over to him as he stood by a couch but when she looked at who he had found she was disappointed and confused.

The Titans looked upon a young girl as she slept on the long couch. She seemed a little worse for wear like she had been in a fight. She wore a light blue long sleeve shirt with a short sleeve blue hoodie. Her long red pants were very worn which matched the rest of her cloths. "Uh, BB….. That's not Danny."

"You think I don't know that? I said I found someone, that doesn't mean him." Beast Boy eyed Cyborg in agitation.

"Do you think she knows where our friend has gone?"

"I doubt it." They turn to see Robin walking over to them from the kitchen.

"What is it, Robin?" Cyborg inquired as he noticed the stern look on his face.

"The Danny we're looking for isn't here. The ghost told me he was saved by her and is watching the place while she rests."

Cyborg raised his eyebrow." Well that would explain her rough appearance, but didn't he say Danny was up here?"

Robin shook his head as he turned to the young girl. "Yes, but he said Dani not Danny. That's her name." He pointed towards her.

Cyborg looked at her for a moment. "Oh, well I guess that makes sense."

"I do not understand. Is Danny not a boy name of this planet?"

Cyborg gave a light laugh. "No, Starfire, it's a nickname. Danny is short for Daniel and Dani is short for Danielle."

Beast Boy furrowed his brow as he crossed his arms. "Geez so we came all the way here for nothing?"

"Not necessarily, the ghost also told me she has some relation to the Danny we know. Chances are she'll know something."

Cyborg pumped his fist in victory considering they finally had a lead. "Alright! Now we just have to wait for her to wake up."

Robin walked over and stood in front of the couch. "Yeah, when she wakes up, the only problem is she's been out for almost 2 days."

The other Titans were shocked at the news as they all turned their gazes to the young girl. "I wonder what happened?"

Raven walked over and kneeled by the couch. "I'm going to see if I can't help." Before she could do anything, however, a low growl was heard from behind the couch.

"Uh….. anyone else hear that?" Beast Boy said in slight panic. A large furry creature then appeared from behind it wearing worn green sweats. The werewolf growled at them in warning as he climbed over the couch with his fangs bared. Raven met it's menacing gaze for only a moment before she found herself backing away almost instinctively. She knew that it wouldn't attack unless she provoked it, but she didn't know what could provoke it at the moment.

Robin raised his hands in a non-aggressive manner as to try and calm it. "It's okay, we're not going to hurt her."

Wulf cut his eyes as he scrutinized the gesture. _"You will back away now. I do not wish to hurt you either. My friend would be most unhappy for me to harm a human."_ Surprise swept through the expressions of each of the Titans at his speech, though none of them could really understand it.

Robin pointed at the girl. "My friend here was going to try and help her. She can heal." Wulf took what Robin said and tried his best to understand what he meant. He understood that he meant no harm, but he wanted to do something to the girl which isn't something Wulf wanted.

Raven spoke up as soon as Wulf raised his claws which indicated an obvious no. "She could be hurt pretty bad considering she's been out for so long; just let me try." Wulf turned to her and was about to give the same response when he smelled something familiar. Raven was confused by the ghost's sudden change of mood and even more so when he began to sniff her.

He stood back up to his full height and distended his claws. _"You have the scent of my friend on you!"_ He then stepped back from the couch enough to let her through. _"You also do not seem to be a threat to her. You must be a companion of his, so you may pass."_ Raven was confused at the gesture, but didn't pass up the chance he gave her.

Her hands lit up with their dark light as she positioned them above the sleeping girl. Her expression tightened a bit as Raven moved over her side which she had been clutching in her sleep. "She was hit with something." Raven concentrated her power on the spot and as she did her eyes grew wide. "She's…." Her words died in her throat as she realized what she was about to say.

"What is it, Raven?"

She hesitated for moment, thinking over what she would say. "She's hurt pretty bad, but I think I can handle it." Raven continued to concentrate on the injury while Robin looked at her in intrigue. He knew Raven too well and as such, knew that she was keeping something from him. He didn't know why, however, as he continued to watch her. He dared not get any closer due to the ghost's continued hostility towards everyone else but Raven.

* * *

Danny stood beside the other halfa leaving as much space as he could between them within the cage where they were placed. "So they caught you too huh?" Danny couldn't help but laugh. It's nice to know he's not the only one that the Observants have their freaky eyes on. "At least one of us deserves this."

Vlad couldn't help but be agitated at the boys quip. "And you don't? I don't go around making a spectacle of myself around the ghost zone!" He sighed as he re composed himself. "So you're looking better."

Danny was surprised at the almost genuine concern he felt in his voice. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you actually cared." He received a scowl for that comment. "I'm doing alright. You?"

Vlad gave a smirk. "Well, I was doing fine until they burst into my home with a small army. Here I am signing a few documents for my latest corporate takeover and all of a sudden my study is reduced to rubble."

Danny took a good look around the room at the hordes of Observants watching their exchange as they participated in their own. "I only wonder what would motivate them to come and get us. They got the Fright Knight and an army of ghosts to come after me."

Vlad raised his brow. "So that's what they asked of him?"

Danny turned to him in confusion. "What do you mean? You know why he was working for them?"

A smirk grew across the elder halfa's face. "Yes actually. Though I doubt a teenager like you would fully understand it. That being said, their leverage over him is now gone which means he'll be on his way in good time."

Danny was confused for a moment until he remembered that the Fright Knight worked with Vlad. They seemed to have come to some sort of deal back when the ghost king had been released. "That's so like you to have a plan for something like this."

"It pays to be prepared, Daniel, something you don't seem to comprehend yet."

Danny's face formed a scowl. "It's hard to be as manipulative and calculating as you are."

Vlad turned from the boy in favor of watching the many ghosts around them. "That sort of planning has done me many favors over the years, and it's about to save us both."

* * *

An hour had passed since Raven finished literally working her magic on the girl and she had finally shown little signs of stirring. Beast Boy and Starfire were the ones assigned to watch over her while the other Titans went down to the basement again to talk with the ghost. Of course with Wulf baring over them while they did so it seemed more like they were the ones being watched.

Minutes before, Starfire had gotten up in favor of looking around instead of watching TV with Beast Boy. He felt the couch he was leaning on move slightly as he flipped the channels. "Hmm?" He turned to see her sitting up in a groggy state while rubbing her face. "Hey! You're up!"

She seemed unresponsive at first but once she laid eyes on the green teen she instantly was taken aback by his sudden appearance. "What the!?" She was backed up against the couch as she watched him stand.

"Whoa, sorry. I didn't mean to surprise you." Wulf didn't get the message and had his claws at the young teen's throat pretty quickly after seeing the girl's frightened reaction.

As soon as Dani was able to gather up her situation her eyes widened at the boy in front of her and she pointed right at him. "Beast Boy!"

He was rather surprised by her sudden outburst. "Y-yeah." Her face formed a smile as she stood up and took his hand. Wulf took this a sign that he was to not hurt him and pulled away his claws much to Beast Boy's relief.

"Oh my gosh I can't believe it! A real Teen Titan right in front of me!"

Beast Boy quickly got over his surprise as he rubbed his neck gingerly, and turned towards the kitchen. "Hey guys, she's awake!"

She followed him into the kitchen and Wulf was right on her heels in protective form. "The other Titans are here with you!?"

"Yeah." He heard her let out a squeal as she ran past him and down the stairs to the lab leaving the large, menacing ghost behind with him.

She ran right into Cyborg as she hit the bottom step. "Whoa! Slow down there, little lady."

She took a moment to rub her head and then looked up at the metal man. "Oh my gosh, Cyborg!"

Cyborg raised his brow in intrigue. "Nice to know I don't need an introduction." He stepped aside and allowed her to continue on into the lab where her eyes fell on the ghost still hanging around. "Amorpho? What are you still doing around?"

He tipped his hat. "Just making sure you were alright. I hate to owe any favors, especially to Phantom." He floated over to the doors of the portal. "Say hi for me next time you see him." He left out the doors which clamped shut behind him.

Dani waved him off before Robin approached her seemingly unfazed by Wulf's glare for doing so. "Excuse me, but I want to ask a few questions."

She turned to him, her fan girl-ness fading, and responded. "Sure."

"Who are you to Phantom?"

She was caught a little off guard by the question but answered truthfully. "I'm his cousin, though we don't see each other much." She looked at their rather surprised expressions. "What about you guys?"

Beast Boy decided to answer that one. "He's a Titan like us."

"Oh wow, I didn't think Danny would join a team like that…. Though considering what happened I guess it's a good thing he did."

Robin dismissed her reference to the accident in favor of finding Danny. It bugged him a little how she said it but some things are more important. "Do you know where we can find him?"

Dani was confused by that. "I haven't seen him in months. I actually came to Amity Park to see how he was doing but an empty house was all I found. I've spent the past few days just trying to leave."

"Trying to leave?"

Raven looked up to the ceiling. "Something's going on in this town isn't there?"

Dani turned to her and nodded. "The GIW have the whole place locked down. I ran into Amorpho the last time I tried to get out and only managed to get him back here before they captured him though if Wulf hadn't come along when he did I doubt either of us would have made it."

Raven turned back to Robin. "I've been getting waves of tension from the outside. The people are obviously not happy with how things are going."

"So you know this ghost here?"

Dani turned back to her menacing protector. "Well, not really to be honest. After he grabbed us out of the crossfire he surprisingly enough brought us here. He speaks a weird language but he did say he was named Wulf and he was a friend."

Robin rubbed his chin in thought before something dawned on him. "Hey, Beast Boy, where's Starfire?"

"Oh, she was taking a look around the house."

"Hey, Robin, check this out!" Cyborg was over on a computer he found under one of the many tarps. He typed at a few of the keys and the lab lit up. A large screen appeared out of the wall that held a projected display of the computer.

As the screen loaded a computerized voice started. "Fenton Work's coming online."

The name seemed to get Robin's attention for a moment before Cyborg interrupted his thoughts. "This must be the system to control everything in the lab." Once the loading screen stopped a red x appeared on the screen.

"User unidentified, Access Denied."

Dani looked at the set up in a little bit of amazement. "I didn't know they had a system like this." She approached the monitor and watched around Cyborg's shoulder.

He kept at the buttons but kept getting the same response no matter what he did. "This thing must have a specialized lock on it. It must require something that can't be typed into it like a password." He stepped away a moment to look over a few of the other things on the same counter hoping to find a clue. Dani took her chance to take a good look at the computer and saw the eye on the top of the monitor flash green.

"User Verification Approved. Welcome, Danny." The screen which was originally a green logo with an F in it morphed into Danny's signature DP emblem while it loaded.

"Whoa!"

"Alright, now that's what I'm talkin about!" Cyborg watched the screen load up to show several icons, one being a picture of the portal.

Robin approached the screen with newly peaked interest. "This must have been where he stored ghost information. How did you unlock it?"

Dani shrugged as she looked at the screen. "I just stood here." Robin stored this other piece of information away. It seemed odd to him that she could unlock Danny's computer somehow.

Cyborg moved the cursor to the file labeled ghosts. It promptly displayed three files labeled Enemies, Allies, and Neutral. "Looks like you hit the nail on the head Robin."

Robin thought for a moment. "Try looking up this guy here. Maybe we can figure out more about him."

After typing in the name a few files came up, but the one he picked was actually called 'Wulf'. "Here we go." A picture of Wulf in attack mode popped up on the screen and the thing that surprised Cyborg the most was the green emblem next to his name which represented allies. "Looks like he is a friend."

He scrolled down to the text below the picture and read it aloud. "A werewolf ghost I helped free from Walker. At first I thought he was a crazy animal speaking gibberish, but I later learned it was Esperanto, an old artificial language. He helped stopped Walker's invasion of the city and has proven to be an invaluable ally the second time the ghost warden turned up at Lake Eerie. He currently lives on the lake's east bank. Special abilities include ripping open ghost portals where ever he sees fit."

Robin raised a brow at that description. He could only imagine who this Walker guy was and the fact that he was referred to as a warden only seemed to make it more confusing. "I guess we shouldn't worry about him then if he's a friend. Try the Observants."

Cyborg typed them into the search box and several things came up but the first one was a file called, "Observants." "The first one looks to be a winner." He opened the file and a picture showing a large robed creature with a giant eye for a head appeared.

"Whoa, that thing is so freaky!" Beast Boy's disgust was shared by Cyborg and Dani.

There was a description below the picture that Cyborg read aloud. "A political power in the Ghost Zone. They keep order by passing judgment on ghosts they deem unruly. Though they seem to have good judgment over all, they tend to be extreme at times. Clockwork describes them as annoying self-absorbed politicians which I have to agree with."

Robin crossed his arms in agitation. "They sound just like how those other ghosts described them."

"But wouldn't this description sort of make them the law of the ghost zone?"

Dani shook her head. "No way! Danny used to tell me about the ghost zone all the time and according to him it was pretty lawless. That Walker guy is head of the Ghost Prison but he'll arrest you for looking at him wrong." After a few confused glances they got back to the data on the screen.

"Cyborg, try one of the links." A few links were also posted below the main article. He moved it down to the one that said Vortex. "This one looks good to me." Another picture appeared and it depicted a horrible creature with lightning bolts on its head and a tornado for a ghost tail.

"This dude looks nasty!"

Cyborg looked over the data on him. "Says here he terrorized with weather all over the world after he was broken out of the Observant's custody by that Plasmius guy. He's the ghost of the forces of the weather."

Robin took a moment to read out the article on the bottom. "According to the Observants he's what's called an elder spirit and was imprisoned for causing incredibly destructive weather patterns. In order to weaken him several of his attributes were split off from him and were released into the human world to maintain order in the skies. These attributes took on forms called Wind, Frost, Heat, Lightning and Thunder."

As Beast Boy heard the names he jumped it realization. "You guys don't think that maybe-"

He was cut off by Starfire who was flying into the room. "I am sorry for my delay. I was not aware she had awoken"

Robin smiled at the arrival of the Tamaranean. "No worries, Star. Now what were you saying, Beast Boy?"

"I was saying-" He was once again cut off, this time by an alarm that sounded through the house. "What's this!?" The changeling said in frustration.

Dani's face fell to worry. "It's nothing good, I can tell you that much." Wulf arched his back as he sensed the danger in the air.

The screen flickered off for a moment and reappeared with a radar depicting one dot being followed by about a hundred others. "Massive ghost population approaching! Massive ghost population approaching! Fenton works lockdown initiated!" The lights dimmed and then two large metal bars appeared over the portal. It was quiet aside from the alarm as they all watched as the first dot arrived at the portal entrance.

"Seems it can't get through."

Robin watched with a serious expression. "Good, cause a horde of ghosts is the last thing we need to deal with right now."

The tension started to lift as the doors appeared to hold until the computer voice activated again. "Lockdown Override Initiated!"

"What!?" Robin watched the portal in anticipation. "Titans get ready!" Wulf responded to that too as he extended his claws while standing guard by Dani. The latches opened followed by the metal doors. Just as they opened a black blurr flew through and stopped in front of the monitor by Cyborg.

It was Danny who was now typing away at the keys pressing one final button before turning to the portal in anticipation. "Fenton Portal Emergency Shutdown Initiated!" The portal's energy fluxuated a moment before flickering out in a matter of seconds. Danny let out a breath of relief as the tension in his body left.

"Danny!" That's all he had time to hear before he had a pair of arms wrapped tightly around him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So one Danny at the start, one Dani in the middle, and another Danny at the end! Yay, Danny's free!=^-^=


	14. Confrontation and Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny's back with a little a little insight on why he was arrested.

"Danielle?" He looked at the younger halfa clamped around him. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see you of course!" She responded with a tighter squeeze.

Danny couldn't help but smile down at the shorter halfa clinging around him. "It has been awhile hasn't it? You've gotten taller." As he turned to look around the lab he noticed the other occupants of the room out of his peripheral sight. "Whoa! What are you guys doing here!?"

They all wore relieved expressions as they looked upon their friend. "We came looking for you."

"Yes, Raven showed us the marvelous portal you had inside the room of storing clothes."

Cyborg placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's good to see you're alright."

Wulf surprised him a bit by licking the side of his face in delight. _"My friend you are looking better. I am so happy to see you!"_

_"Happy to see you too, Wulf."_ He said as he wiped the slobber off his face. Robin was quick to get to the point once everyone had their say though Raven was quiet. She met eyes with him for only a moment and saw his expression soften as he returned her gaze. It was the kind of mutual exchange that could only come from those who spoke in silence; knowing what the other had to say without saying a word.

"So, Danny, what exactly happened?" Dani loosened her grip to allow him to respond properly.

"It's kind of a crazy story actually you see I wasn't the only one the Observants wanted. Vlad had already been captured and they shoved me into the same cell as him."

Dani giggled at that. "He deserves it."

"Yeah, but I do owe him one this time. If he hadn't been captured too, the Fright Knight wouldn't have burst into the hall sword blazing like he did."

Robin raised a brow in confusion. "Wasn't he the one who captured you though? Why let you escape?"

Danny shrugged. "I'm not really sure but I guess whatever hold the Observants had on him must've ended. After that he didn't care whether I escaped while he broke Vlad out."

Dani gave him a worried look. "Why did they capture you in the first place? Did you do something wrong?"

Danny crossed his arms and wore an annoyed expression. "To be honest I'm still not sure. It's not like they have their rules plastered on the wall or anything. They said I was conspiring with Vlad to destroy the ghost zone." Starfire gasped in a dramatic fashion. "Relax, Star, it's not true. Even I know what would happen if you erase and entire plane of existence especially one so interconnected with the human world."

Cyborg scratched his head. "Did they have any proof?"

Danny rolled his eyes as he thought about their infallible reasoning. "Apparently they jumped to that conclusion after they somehow found out that I brought Raven into the Ghost Zone. They have this long standing issue with sorcery I had no idea about. They blamed her when one of the Observants disappeared."

Raven wore a scowl slightly more agitated looking than normal. "That's ridiculous. I didn't even know what an observant was."

"Couldn't it have just left or passed on or something? Isn't that what ghosts do?" Beast Boy asked with a very lost expression.

"That's the thing, Beast Boy, Observants don't just disappear. They are always found in their council tower and can use it to teleport anywhere in the Ghost Zone. The only times they leave are in groups when they have to meet with certain ghosts. Apparently this one disappeared without anyone noticing until it was too late."

"Dude! That's not fair! One of their guys goes missing and they blame Raven and arrest you!?"

Robin nodded in agreement. "I have to agree. They don't have the right to just storm into our city and arrest you without any real proof!"

Danny opened his arms whimsically. "Welcome to Ghost Zone politics where getting on someone's bad side can merit you a 1000 year prison sentence."

Cyborg looked even more confused than when he was looking at the physics of the Ghost Zone. "That's….. kinda severe."

Danny gave him a dry expression. "You're telling me. Anyway, the whole thing does have me a bit worried. Like I said before, Observants don't just go missing. Whatever the reason, it definitely has something behind it." Robin rubbed his chin as he thought about it.

"Anyone else wishing they didn't get out of bed this morning?" Beast Boy said with an annoyed expression. Dani giggled a bit at his remark which made his eyes go wide with excitement. "You thought I was funny!?" She backed away a bit due to his enthusiasm but gave him a truthful nod.

"Regardless of things in that world, it's this one we need to worry about for the time being. We need to get back to the Tower, then we can go over the situation more thoroughly." The other Titans gave nods in agreement and Danny turned to the portal.

"We are a few states away and there is no way I'm opening that again… who reactivated it in the first place?"

Dani was quick to take responsibility. "That was me. I opened it thinking you might be in there. The only one who came out though was Amorpho."

Danny raised his brow. "Well that's surprising, it's not like every ghost in the ghost zone doesn't know where it is. I thought there would have been more."

Robin clarified for the confused halfa. "Actually, that Amorpho ghost said he was guarding it while Danielle was out. He disguised himself as you and waited for a ghost to try and get through."

Danny raised his hand up to his chin and turned to finally notice the worst for wear appearance of his cousin. "By the way, Danielle, what happened to you?"

Danielle wore a lamenting expression as she looked towards the ceiling. "The GIW are in the city and have it on lock down. They got me with one of their blasters while I was trying to get Amorpho back to the house."

Danny let out an exasperated sigh. "So they finally do something now that the town isn't infested… and it's extreme as usual."

"The GIW….. they were the ones the APPD wanted me to hand you over to."

Danny still seemed rather annoyed at the mention of them as he responded. "Yeah. They're a government agency tasked with studying, capturing and eradicating ghosts. The unfortunate part is that they are an 'ends justifies the means' sort of group and don't mind property damage and injuring civilians as long as they catch the ghost they're after. Also, they kind of suck at it. Most of the ghosts they've ever caught have been so weak and harmless I don't even bother with them. On a side note, I'm grateful you didn't hand me over to them; they really don't like me."

Cyborg crossed his arms. "This might be a bit tricky then. If we can't go back through the ghost zone then we'll have to go through town, but then they'll find you."

"Could we not simply tell them that you are not a ghost wishing to cause harm?" The ghost boy shook his head at the naïve thoughts of Starfire.

"Sorry, Starfire, but that has yet to even make them hesitate." Danny deadpanned.

Beast Boy gestured to Dani. "Those jerks would even shoot at a defenseless girl!?"

Both Dani and Danny traded knowing glances. "Girl yes, defenseless, not so much."

Dani nodded in agreement as she crossed her arms in complete confidence. "Yeah, I can take care of myself."

Raven gave her a serious look. "Whatever it was they hit you with, you were out for 2 days."

Dani's eyes widened in shock. "T-that long!?..."

Danny's face flashed a bit of anger but it faded relatively quickly. Raven seemed to be the only one to notice due to her empathic abilities. "You need to be more careful, Danielle." Danny waved his finger at her causing her to pout a bit at his lack of confidence in her. "Anyway, we do need to get out of here, but with those agents out there it's like being between a rock and a hard place."

Dani nodded in agreement. "They check everyone going in or out of town for any signs of ghosts or possession. It's like marshal law out there."

Wulf began to growl at the ceiling in response to a muffled noise. _"Danny, someone is coming!"_

Danny's gaze shifted to the roof as he listened to the sound. "Is that banging?... Oh crap…" He face palmed as he flew up through the roof with only one request as he did so. "You guys just hang tight for a minute. I know exactly what's going on." Robin gave him an anxious glance as he disappeared through the roof and then turned to Raven. She nodded as well and went up through the surface as well.

"Hey where are you going?" Cyborg asked scratching his head at the silent exchange.

"I decided to play this one out with Danny considering he knows more about what's been going on. Raven is going to back him up on whatever is going on up there. If they get into trouble, we join in as well."

Cyborg took a moment to understand the thought out explanation of the boy wonder's reasons. "Okay…. I guess that works." He looked over to him suspiciously. Robin seemed to be holding something back, but he trusted him enough not to question it. Robin usually knew what he was doing unless it involved a certain criminal in a mask.

Once Raven was upstairs, she noted the noise's source being the front door. She floated out into the main room just in time to see a door crash down onto the floor from the force of two heavily armed men in white suits. "Secure the perimeter!" A group of even more heavily armed agents were about to enter when they were stopped by a familiar voice.

"Stop!" Danny flew at the door, lifting it up, slamming it shut and locking into place as to keep them out. He strained to hold the door in place when he noticed Raven in the kitchen doorway. "I thought I asked you guys to stay downstairs?" Due to Raven's sudden appearance he was distracted long enough for the GIW to ram down the door again.

"Phantom is to be captured with extreme hostility!" Danny was just pushing the door off of himself when he heard the familiar whine of an ecto-blaster. He only had enough time to turn in its direction before he was blasted against a back wall. Raven retaliated quickly as she lifted the door with her powers and shoved the GIW agents through the doorway, placing the door back once they were out of the way.

Once she felt the door was secure she turned to Danny with a look of surprise once she saw the white ring envelop him. His black and white jumpsuit turned to blue jeans and a white shirt with red elbow length sleeves and white stripes through the middle of them. His white hair turned raven black as he combed his fingers through it. "Damn!" Danny stood up shakily as he continued to rub his head.

"Are you alright?"

He nodded as he turned to Raven. "Yeah, I just forgot how much that hurts." He then noticed the look of confusion on her face. "What?"

"Sorry…. You just look…. Different."

Danny looked over his clothes. "Oh, well I must have changed back is all. Didn't you know that, like when you read my mind?"

She shook her head. "Sorry, I saw those scenes from your point of view so I never actually saw you." Before she could ask anything else more banging could be heard and Danny raced back over to the door as it started to come down again. It was unfortunate that he could not have his superior strength in his human form but it didn't help that they had taken to replacing the wooden door with a steal one after one too many of the GIW's surprise visits. "Well regardless, I guess I'm glad you did come up to help. Do you mind?"

He pushed the door up and over to the frame, with a bit of magic help, where the hinges magnetized together and it seemed like new. "Robin thought you might need at least a little back up. That happen often?"

"More than I'd like, though the magnetic hinges make fixing it pretty easy."

She then looked him over a bit more. "By the way…. Are you….?"

Danny was now checking the door as he responded. "This is what my human half looks like. I guess you could say it's the real me." Raven was surprised a bit by his appearance. He was always in Phantom form when they talked or went out; she had almost forgotten he had another form at this point. "You don't look too different to be honest, but still not the same."

Danny chuckled. "What did you expect? Some huge difference like with Vlad?" Raven couldn't deny the claim. She had secretly thought about his human form, but considering how human he looked in his ghost form, she can't really say she's surprised. She had been curious mostly in the beginning, but she wasn't about to pry. As soon as Danny was sure that the door was not going anywhere he turned to her to see her analytical gaze. He raised a brow at her and with a teasing voice he said, "Disappointed? I thought you liked how I looked."

She turned away with a blush. "Of course I do, I was just…." Truth be told she had caught onto his air of calmness. He had been very relaxed as that whole situation went down and he seemed…. More comfortable in his human state. At the same time he also seemed far more aware of his surroundings to the point of being almost tense. It was a whole new side to him for her… it baffled her with its contradiction, but at the same time she had to like it. He was full of contradictions after all, being both dead and alive in itself was like an oxymoron.

Danny took a few steps towards his girlfriend and morphed with his signature white ring traveling up and down his body. Her eyes widened a bit at the transformation but her blush quickly over took her as he caressed the side of her face. "Glad to know." And with that teasing smile he turned and headed back towards the basement. She shook the fuzzy feeling out of her head and followed with a slight frown on her face. Danny had teased her just now and she couldn't help but be a little annoyed that she had fallen for it.

Once they rejoined the group Robin stepped up and wanted an immediate briefing on what went down upstairs. "The GIW decided to pay a visit , but we were able to keep them out. That being said we probably shouldn't dawdle." Raven added in as she floated forward. "They might be back sooner rather than later depending on how determined they are to get through the door again."

Robin nodded in agreement as he turned back to Danny. "Any ideas of how we can get past them?"

Danny thought for a moment before he turned to Wulf with a grin. "Actually…."

* * *

"This is amazing!"

Danny raised a brow. "You really have never been inside the Ghost Zone?"

Danielle shook her head. "Well no! I'm not the one with a dimensional portal in their basement." Wulf had torn open a portal from the Lab and due to the fact they open to random locations, they ended up away from the horde of ghosts that were chasing Danny. They were getting out onto a floating chunk of land only a few feet under the portal.

Danny took a good look around. "Know where we are?" Robin asked as he took in their surroundings.

Danny floated around a bit. "I think so… This place can be hard to navigate." He flew lower down. "Here we go, now I know where we are for a fact."

Raven levitated over to him to see. "Is that what I think it is?"

Danny raised his brow. "That depends on what you think it is."

"Pariah's keep."

Danny was a bit surprised at the fact she really knew what it was. "Oh, well then it's exactly what you think it is." The other Titans peeked over the rocky cliff to see the ominous looking castle that floated far below them.

Beast Boy looked at it in immense confusion. "Anyone else in the dark with this Pariah guy?"

Cyborg agreed. "Yeah, I've never heard of him."

Raven floated back over to them. "I wouldn't have expected you to. He is a fallen god from before recorded history began."

Beast Boy suddenly looked panicked. "Are you kidding me!? There's a god living down there!? And we're just sitting here like nothing's wrong?"

He grabbed his head as he started to freak out more but Danny floated back over to him. "Relax, Beast Boy. He's taking an extended nap for the next few centuries."

Dani looked over the edge with her hand over her forehead to block out the glare. "Ghost Kings have really long naps apparently."

Beast Boy sighed in relief. "Oh man….. I thought I was going to have a heart attack if that guy suddenly jumped out at us."

Danny crossed his arms with a slight frown. "Well, even if Pariah were to wake up it's not like you would have to worry, he wouldn't even be able to touch you." The Titans looked at him in immense confusion which was shared by Dani. "What? You guys came here through the Ghost Zone and never noticed that you could phase through things?"

Beast Boy tapped his chin. "Well, I went through that old ship."

"See there? Anything from the human world tends to go right through things in this one. In the Ghost Zone, you guys are the ghosts." Robin rubbed his chin as he approached a dead tree on the bit of land they were on. He reached out to grab it and was amazed when his hand went right through.

Cyborg looked to his feet. "Then how are we standing on the ground?"

Danny stomped one of his feet. "Did you want to fall through? And it's not like you expected to. It all comes down to whether you want to or not most of the time." Dani grunted as Danny picked her up; she hated not being able to fly on her own, but her powers were a bit shaky at the moment. "Let's get going. It's better not to encourage something to come by and eat us."

Beast Boy gulped just before transforming into a Pterodactyl and grabbing Cyborg. Starfire grabbed Robin and they started to follow Danny through the zone. "So, Dani, you feeling any better?"

Dani sighed. "I still can't change… You think it might have something to do with the weapon the GIW hit me with?"

Danny nodded. "It's alright though, you might just need a bit more time to recover."

Raven floated up beside them and turned to Danny. "So she is just like you?"

Danny stuttered a bit in his answer. "W-what do you mean?"

"I mean she's half ghost like you."

Dani nodded. "Yeah, but I can't seem to change right now."

Danny looked at her in curiosity. "How did you know that?"

"When I was healing her earlier, I felt it."

Dani instantly held her side. "That… you did that? I thought it just…"

Raven shook her head. "Whatever healing power your ghost half gives you wasn't doing much at all."

Danny's eyes formed a glare. "No doubt some new anti-ghost weapon. Staying like that without getting it looked at probably didn't help. You still feel okay right?" Dani gave a solemn nod and then started to take in the sights some more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG, its Raven's fault!? How could they blame her! LOL, anyway, this is important so don't forget it. Ghosts don't like magic!=^-^=


	15. I Trust You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin connects a few dots, and Danielle eats a Glorg.

About 15 minutes later the group was now in clear visual distance of the cavern concealing Danny's portal. Danny in the lead with Dani in his arms followed by the other Titans, finally let out a collective sigh of relief at the prospective end of their other worldly adventure. Though Dani couldn't say she was happy to be carried, she didn't mind as much as they flew through the zone. She had never actually been in it and of course gaped in wonder at its crazy make up. Danny couldn't help but let out a few laughs at her reaction.

He set her down on the floating rock just outside the cavern. "So it's in here?" She started towards the cavern just as the others caught up. Only a few steps inside and the stomp of large feet were heard.

As Beast Boy wobbled a bit he remembered the large ghost dog keeping guard of Danny's portal. "Is that dog gonna attack us again?!" With a large leap he flew out of the cavern and toppled Dani mid-step. Even more surprising than the sudden appearance was the fact that he was licking her in delight rather than growling like he did for most other newcomers.

"Hey, Cujo." The dog stopped licking the giggling halfa in favor of looking towards his master who had just called his name. He barked and jumped over towards him. "Down boy!" It was all Danny could do to keep on his feet as the spectral hound started to lick him as well. After a few licks the dog shrank down and jumped into his arms.

"I didn't know you had a dog." Dani had, by now, gotten up to pet the dog in Danny's arms.

"He's not mine, but he does have a bad tendency to follow me home. I figured if he was gonna stick around anyway then he'd make a good guard dog like he was at Axiom Labs." Danny let Cujo down and continued into the cavern with the others close behind.

"I don't know about you guys, but traveling through other dimensions makes me hungry." Cyborg was rubbing his stomach as he thought of what he would make. "I'm thinking Italian!"

"Sounds good to me….. you can make that vegetarian right?" Beast Boy took up stride beside his robotic friend who gave him an 'are you serious' expression. "I've had enough of this creepy place." It wasn't long before they had their sights on a familiar glowing green swirl and they went through one by one. Once everyone was through Danny shut down the portal and closed the security doors that covered it.

"So you really put it in a closet?" Dani asked with one eyebrow raised.

Danny shrugged as he picked up a suspiciously out of place thermos. "Best idea I had at the time…. By the way. Did any of you mess with my thermoses?"

Cyborg was quick to point his finger at Beast Boy who gave him a sheepish grin. "Yeah….. sorry about that…."

"He let some weirdo calling himself the Box Ghost out of it."

Danny rolled his eyes a bit and set the thermos back on the shelf. "Well that's going to be annoying later." He then turned to Robin who seemed to be deep in thought. "So, Robin, I figured-"

He was cut off by a rather loud growl coming from Dani. She held her stomach with a sheepish grin. "Sorry….. I guess not eating for two days left me starving."

Cyborg opened the door. "It's alright, I'm starving too. Let's go make some dinner!" He raced out with Beast Boy just behind him.

"What was it you were trying to say, Danny?" Robin inquired as he looked up from his thoughts. Starfire was exiting the room with Raven close behind beckoning Robin to follow.

"It's nothing….. We can talk later." He waved him out of the room. Now it was just him and Dani as he sat down on his bed.

She gave him a sympathetic look. "So did you want to talk about it?"

It didn't take Danny more than a minute to figure out what she was referring to. "Well, maybe after dinner. I want to think a bit beforehand."

Dani sat down and laid back on the bed next to him. "Alright, I guess that'll work. I'm still kinda surprised you joined the Teen Titans. A friend of mine is a big fan and even told me about the time she hung out with them."

Danny turned with his brow raised. "A friend huh?"

"Yeah. I told her I'd meet her in North Carolina along the AP Trail. We were going to do a bit of hiking before I found out about the accident on the news. Hopefully she hasn't grown too impatient with me."

He laid back with a smile. "Sounds like fun."

"Yeah, she's awesome with camping and stuff. Anyway, I'm going to go meet her as soon as my powers return to normal."

* * *

After having a fun time watching Beast Boy and Cyborg go back and forth over the idea of tofu meat balls, Starfire decided to end the meal by presenting Dani with a homemade Glorg. Of course everyone but Dani knew what it tasted like and almost gagged when they saw her eat it. It seemed she was one of the few who could tolerate the stuff as she finished the whole jiggling pile. "I don't know what you guys problem is. I've eaten way worse than that."

Danny looked away and held his palm up to her. "You can keep whatever it was to yourself." He reflexively held himself off from gagging. "I really don't need to know."

Starfire picked up the empty plate in her typical cheery way. "I am most delighted that you enjoyed my homemade Glorg!" Her smile radiated as she dashed over and placed the dirty dish in the sink where Beast Boy was washing the plates.

The rest of the conversation blurred as Danny watched Robin leave with a serious air about him. It looked like something was bothering him and Danny had a hunch that he was the cause of the boy wonder's trouble. He turned back and saw the others clowning around the counter area and decided to take this opportunity to talk with him.

* * *

Robin pulled out a few of the papers he had filed away months ago concerning Danny. Something had been bothering him since their escapade in the Ghost Zone and it wasn't the Obsevants. No, it was Danny. Something about that house they were in sparked a memory. He pulled out the pages on Daniel Fenton and just as he did so he heard a knock at his door. "Hold on, Starfire, I need to check something."

"Guess again, Robin." Danny phased through the door causing Robin to turn around slightly with one hand leaning on the desk.

"Oh, Danny…. What do you need?" Robin was tense as the halfa took a few steps in his direction. He knew he shouldn't be snooping in Danny's business, but he just couldn't help himself. Something wasn't adding up.

Danny leaned his head to the side and caught a glimpse of the page bearing his picture as a human. "Glad to know I wasn't being paranoid."

Robin turned back and straightened the papers on the desk. "I wasn't-"

"It's okay, I get it. Raven told me you've had history with Titans going rouge. I know you're just being careful."

Robin raised his brow in curiosity. "So…"

Danny crossed his arms. "I'll try to answer any questions you have, but I won't guarantee a straight answer. I still have things I like to keep to myself."

Robin picked up the paper behind him with a serious expression. "Then, how do you relate to this kid?"

There was a silence between them for a brief moment before Danny sighed. "Sorry, next question."

Robin seemed frustrated by the answer but he tried again. "So you are connected?"

"…. Yeah."

Robin then placed the papers back in the file and quietly put them away. "I'm sorry….. I wasn't trying to pry. It's just when we ended up in that lab Cyborg booted up the computer and it said Fenton Works; I knew I had heard that name before."

"I'm sure you remember the emblem too. You'll find it on a lot of the gear I have, thermoses, ghost gloves even your staff. I rely on their tech; it certainly makes my job easier."

Robin then turned to him with a slight smile. "Thanks, Phantom."

Danny was caught off guard by that. Surely he had more questions right? "Wait that's it?"

Robin placed one hand on Danny's shoulder and looked him straight in the eye. "Yeah, I trust you." Danny wore a bit of a bewildered expression. "I know, more than anyone, the importance of secrets, though Raven has had to remind me a few times. If you want us to know, you can tell us." He then turned and headed towards the door while Danny could say little in return. He definitely hadn't expected this. He thought Robin would be a bit more persistent. He paused in the door way and turned back to Danny a moment. "By the way, take care with Raven. She can be a little sensitive."

Danny blushed immediately. "Wait, when did you-" Robin left before he could finish and Danny face palmed. "Apprentice to the world's greatest detective…. Definitely."

* * *

Later on that night both Dani and Danny were on the roof watching the stars. Dani had finally convinced the elder halfa to open up a bit to get it off his chest. "So Clockwork has him now?"

Danny was laying back next to Dani who was sitting while leaning over her knees. "Yeah…. Not much of a victory though."

She held up her hand and made it invisible. "I'm happy you were able to move forward though, and that you didn't get dragged down by Vlad."

"There was no way I was going to allow that thing to exist." He sat up and watched as his cousin practiced a few simple powers. "So? Feeling any better?"

Her hand reappeared and she balled up her fist. "Yeah." A ring appeared around her waist but fizzled out after only half the transformation. "I should be good to go by morning at this rate."

"I hope so, but do you really need to leave so soon?"

Dani leaned on one hand and gave him a sly smile. "Do you really want me around to get between you and Raven?"

Danny blushed with a flustered expression. "Wait… you too? How did you know!?"

Dani laughed a bit. "Hey, even if I'm not an exact clone, I'm still close enough to know when you like someone. I saw that look you gave her when you first saw her in the lab. It reminded me a bit of how you and Sam were."

Danny rubbed his neck in a nervous manner. "Geez….. I was trying not to be found out."

"Yeah, with Cyborg and Beast Boy I can totally understand the need for a secret relationship. Anyway, you know me, I can't stay still like you can. I guess that's one of the things that makes us different."

Danny leaned back on his hands. "I guess you're right." The two remained silent for a few minutes before Danny stood up. "I want you to be careful though alright? I can only hope you've been using your powers responsibly so far."

Dani rolled her eyes. "You act more like a big brother than a cousin. Duh, of course." Dani stood up as well and brushed herself off a bit. "Anyway, I'll just leave you two alone now."

Danny turned around in confusion to see Raven had just come up the stairs. "Dani!?" She giggled a bit as she passed Raven and went through the roof entry closing the door behind her. Raven raised a brow at Danny's mortified expression. "Geez….." He brushed his hand through his hair as he turned back to the edge of the roof.

"What's going on?"

Danny sighed. "Dani figured us out and was just teasing me about it."

Raven walked over and leaned against his shoulder. "It was bound to happen at some point."

Danny placed his hand over the one Raven had on the edging. "Yeah and at least she'll keep it to herself. I could only imagine what would happen if Beast Boy or Cyborg found out…."

"Don't even joke about that." They both laughed together at that one. "So how did it go with Robin? You guys talked right?" Raven gazed off towards the skyline of the city as she awaited an answer.

"Yeah, he surprised me though. He didn't dig nearly as much as I thought he would and he told me he trusts me."

Raven let out a sigh of relief. "Good. I was worried a bit."

Danny raised her chin a little and looked her in the eyes. "I'm flattered to have so much of your attention." He then pulled her into a kiss with the city lights as their back drop.

* * *

It was early morning when Danny awoke to the buzzing of an alarm. He barely had his eyes open as he blindly felt around for the button that would allow him to sleep peacefully again. "Damn….. where is it?" He said in a groggy tone. Once he silenced it he took a moment to check on Dani who was sleeping on the floor by his bed. "Hey, Dani… wake up." When she didn't respond he forced himself out of bed and shook her a bit through the blanket. "Wake up. Didn't you set the alarm so you could leave early?"

Dani moaned groggily as she reached up and rubbed her eyes. "What was I thinking?" She sat up and yawned.

"Why did you want to leave so early then?"

She stood up and stretched. "I really didn't want the whole good bye stuff to be honest." She picked up her clothes that were on Danny's dresser and he turned around so she could change.

"I guess I could understand that. Who knows how long it would take."

"Exactly, I want to get going." As she finished changing she folded up the borrowed pajamas and set them on the Dresser in place of her clothes.

Danny turned back around and yawned. "So how do you feel?"

Dani responded by activating her morph ring which transformed her without a hitch. "Great."

Danny smiled sleepily. "Alright then, have fun, but come by every once and a while so I know how you're doing."

Dani smirked at him. "If I find the time; I might even bring a friend." She floated up towards the ceiling.

"Just be careful alright?" She gave him a sympathetic look because she knew where that was coming from.

She nodded as she phased through the ceiling. "Don't worry so much."

As soon as she was gone Danny sighed and fell back into the covers. "Impossible." He smiled as he drifted back off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She may or may not be coming back in the future.=^-^=


	16. Magical Mumbo Jumbo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny is forced/volunteered for a magic trick.

After Dani left of course the other Titans were a bit disappointed that she didn't say goodbye, but wished her well. Danny was sure to point out her tendencies towards leaving dramatically. A nice quiet week succeeded their escapade through the Ghost Zone with only minor disturbances here and there. Today, however, was the roll breaker as Danny now found himself trapped inside a rather confining metal box.

He sighed as his attempts to phase were horribly thwarted. "You know, today was a nice quiet day. I could have played video games, played with my star map, hung out with Raven, but no… I have to get stuck in a ridiculous metal box 3 seconds after we found the bank robbing weirdo." Danny tried again to force the container open but got nowhere and let out another sigh. "Damn magician! Looks like Freak Show's got some crazed up competition."

Meanwhile on the outside, his fellow Titans were racing after Mumbo as he made off with not only a vault full of money but one Phantom who had blocked his way. He turned a corner and zapped a street lamp with his wand. "Presto Chango!" It morphed into an elephant and charged at his pursuers.

Raven used her powers to toss the elephant to the side while Starfire started to lay down some star bolts on his trail. "You will return friend Phantom, at once!"

The Magician laughed. "Not until he's finished helping me with my latest trick!" He jumped onto a large 18 wheeler truck which spawned a stage when he touched it. "Hello and welcome!" He took off his hat and pulled a large metal box out with a question mark on it. "And now to dazzle and amaze you!" Beast Boy swooped down as a pterodactyl, but Mumbo zapped him and he was surrounded by doves out of nowhere. "Ha ha! Mumbo Jumbo!" He took his hat and tapped it with his want. "Nothin in my hat." Once he turned it over, however, a pile of swords fell out. "Ta-da! And now for the best part!"

Raven and Robin moved to retaliate. "Don't even think about it! Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" She grabbed up a post box and lunged it at him while Robin threw some explosives.

With just a wave of his wand, a few of the swords levitated up and flew at them, much to their surprise. "Don't be a wet blanket! I've been getting the bugs out of this one." He then picked up one of the swords and shoved it down through the box at an angle. The box shook in response, but could move to do little else. He then proceeded to shove a few more through the box. "2,3,4,5…" His count was interrupted by Cyborg's sonic cannon which he sucked into his hat. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, I'm not finished yet!"

He tapped his hat again and the sonic blast shot back out right at Cyborg. "Oh, man!" He shouted as he ran to evade it.

Mumbo turned back to the box with an evil grin. "Now where was I?" A car landed just to the side of him as he strode over causing him to step back. He turned with a nervous expression towards the irate teenage Tamaranean. "Come now….. can't you just enjoy the show?" He pointed his wand towards the power lines. "Abracadabra!" They morphed into snakes and jumped at her.

Now that she was out of the way he turned back to the magic box with his final sword. "And now for the Grand Finale!" He raised his foot and a set of stairs appeared as he walked. He held the sword pointed down at the top of the box. "..and 6!" He thrust it down as hard as he could though it seemed to get snagged ¾ of the way down. He furrowed his brow as he struggled to get it all the way in. "Come on….. IN!" He noticed a floating piece of metal debris coming at him out of the corner of his eye and just barely ducked in time to dodge it. "You're not trying to steal my show are you?" He asked with a playful smile as he waved his wand. "Hocus Pocus!"

Raven next found herself fighting her own cloak as it wrapped around her like a snake. "Let him go!"

The magician laughed. "Not until the show is finished." He then got back to shoving the sword back into the box. It took some serious effort but it seemed worth it to the magic man as a delighted expression crossed his face when the sword sank completely in. He then straightened his hat and bowed. "Thank you, thank you."

Before he could look up he found himself covered in a black energy as a very angry Raven levitated over to him. "I warned you." She said in a demonic tone as she completely enveloped his body.

Only his head stuck out as Robin jumped onto the scene. "Hold on, Raven." He blocked her off with a hand and then turned to Mumbo with a stern expression. "Let him out!" The blue man gulped, but made no move to follow the command given to him as he shifted his nervous gaze between the two Titans. A loud clang was heard which quickly got everyone's attention.

They all set eyes upon Cyborg who was using a crowbar to pry it open. "Yo, Danny! Hang on, I'll get you out of there!"

Starfire next flew down to assist her friend. "Be okay please!" After a few attempts the door finally yielded as it swung open as far as it could go without breaking.

"Somehow….. I really doubt this is how the trick is supposed to be done…." Danny was in an awkward upside down, pose as his body moved to dodge the many blades protruding from the outside of the box. His head seemed to be in the worst position as his neck was bent in towards the corner of the box as he held the final sword blade away from his face with both hands.

Beast boy crouched down to check on him as Cyborg and Starfire began pulling out the swords. "You okay, man?"

"Yeah, but I can safely say I'm never going to a magic show ever again." He responded in obvious irritation.

Both Robin and Raven approached him as he picked himself back up. "Close call."

Danny dusted himself off a bit. "Close shave you mean, but at least you got him. Thanks guys." He then started to rub his sore neck from the strain of practically sitting on it through the whole fight. "I'm going to feel this in the morning."

Before he could do much else he felt a jerk from his right arm. "You are injured?" Starfire turned his wrist to see the short gash that went down the side of his arm.

"Oh that? The first sword caught me off guard. It's nothing." He held the light wound with his other hand as he tried to play it down. "It's just a cut." She didn't seem to be buying it so he thought of a sly way to get her to leave it alone. He rubbed his arm a bit for effect and then revealed to her his repaired costume where the cut should be. "See?"

"Cool trick." Beast Boy looked on in amazement. "Wish I could do that."

"It works for little things." Danny's gaze then landed on Raven who was looking at him curiously.

"Now it's time we get Mumbo back to prison." Robin said as he turned back to the almost forgotten robber.

* * *

That night Danny was on the roof again gazing at the stars. Of course his ceiling star map was cool, but it's just not the same. Nothing's more breathtaking than the real thing. He leaned over the edge of the roof and held his head up with his left hand. "Good evening, Raven." She had barely made a sound, but it was enough for Danny to hear. He didn't even turn around to confirm if he was right; he just knew. "Come to stargaze?"

Raven took a spot to his right and looked at him with her brow raised. "Not exactly."

He then felt a sudden stab of pain in his arm as Raven gripped it much to his surprise. "Ow… Hey!"

"I knew it. It's still there." Raven appeared angry as she moved her thumb off the supposed cut.

Danny pulled his arm away and gave her a cross expression. "It's nothing, Raven."

She reached out for the arm. "No its not, just let me see it."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Come on, Raven…." Her resolve didn't wane one bit as he gave her a pleading look. "Fine.." He held his arm out for her and leaned once again on his left hand. She lit up her hands with her black energy and placed them over the now revealed cut. "I thought I did a good job covering it up. How could you tell?"

She smiled a bit. "You stopped using your right hand as much." She then looked towards him. "Like what you were doing when I got up here, and now."

He lifted his head from his hand and looked at it. He let out a small laugh as he turned back to Raven. "I thought Robin was the detective."

She blushed a bit. "It doesn't take a detective to notice something off about someone you care about."

Danny gave her a shy smile as she continued to heal with her powers. Once she was finished Danny took a look himself. Although the cut was still there, it looked better and didn't hurt at all. "Thanks, I think I can take it from here."

They had only a brief moment of quiet before Starfire burst through the doors in her usual peppy way. "Come, friend Phantom! We are going to be partaking of the movies and corn of popping!" She next realized that Raven was with him but after only a moment of confusion she jovially grabbed both of them. "You too, Raven, it will be most joyful!"

* * *

By the end of the movie 4 out of 6 Titans seemed too freaked out for words. Raven showed no interest at all as she held a book in her gaze and Danny actually started to laugh. Beast Boy came out from under the sofa cushion with a somewhat mortified expression. "That's not funny, dude! That was so freaky!"

Danny was now holding his side as he turned to his green friend. "Sorry, Beast Boy, but that was so fake I couldn't help myself. None of that was even close to realistic."

Cyborg gave him a curios stare. "You're kidding….. right? That scene where the priests got ripped apart from the inside was…." He shivered before he could finish.

Beast Boy pulled back into the cushion at Cyborg's reference. "Man, it almost feels like there's a ghost in this room with us now!"

Danny looked at him with a dry expression. "There is a ghost in the room."

Beast Boy popped up and the cushion went flying. "Really!? Where!?" Danny sighed in exasperation.

"I guess Holly Wood could never fool a real ghost huh?" Robin gave him a playful smile as he turned off the movie.

Beast Boy turned to him with a sheepish expression. "Oh…. Yeah. I forgot about that."

Starfire let out a sigh of relief. "I am glad to know that you are not as movie ghosts are."

Beast Boy sat back in the couch with a more relaxed expression. "Yeah…. Come to think of it, flowers couldn't ward away evil spirits."

"Uh…. Actually…"

Beast Boy turned to him. "Wait….. can they!?"

Danny crossed his arms with a slightly agitated tone. "There is a type of flower that can hurt ghosts, but you'd be hard pressed to find it in this day and age."

Beast Boy then scratched his head as he thought a bit more. "Then could throwing salt work like in the movie?"

Danny gave a slight chuckle to that. "No, Beast Boy. Pure salt crystals being an anti-ghost remedy is just a myth."

Cyborg yawned loudly. "Well, that's good to know. Now I plan to sleep and not have nightmares about being eaten by ghosts." He said in a laughing manner. He got up and headed for the door and was quickly followed by Beast Boy.

"Then I shall begin the hitting of the hay as well." She gave one last glance to Robin before she flew up and over the couch.

Robin waved off Starfire and then turned back to notice the serious expression on Danny's face. "Something on your mind?" That got Raven's attention as she peeked up from her book.

"Yeah….. I'm not sure, but I need to look into something." Danny floated up. "I'm going to see another friend of mine. I'll let you know if I figure anything out but I think I remember where I saw that crystal that was stolen from the museum months ago."

Robin's eyes widened for a sec before he nodded. "Alright but be careful." Danny then flew off through the doors. Raven stood up and began towards her room as well. Robin turned to lean over the couch. "He should be fine, Raven."

She turned back to him with a slight smirk. "I wasn't worried."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like Mumbo, not just because of the musical number does, but because he can be random but not Deadpool level random. Also, can you guess just on what was said at the end, who Danny is going to visit?=^-^=


	17. Enemy In Need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny asks Pandora about the crystal, but runs into a familiar face on the way to her Acropolis.

Danny flew through the ghost zone in a bit of a daze as he went over in his mind what he planned to do. This crystal was definitely something dangerous. Pandora keeps only the most volatile objects sealed in her gallery after all. If he was right, the crystal or maybe one just like it was still in her collection. Hopefully his memory wasn't playing tricks on him. It's kind of annoying how far away her acropolis was from Danny's new portal, but what could you do?

"I wonder how Pandora's been lately? I guess I should have visited her earlier." A smile crossed his face as he thought about their first meeting. She seemed scary at first, but she's actually really nice when you're on her good side. Even Dad thought she was… Dad. That was one fight where everyone pitched in. Jazz even seemed to be raring to go even though she normally hated Mom and Dad's guns blazing attitude. She'd probably like Pandora's place too considering how much of a book worm she was.

Makes me wonder… Just how long had she known? If it were any length of time that meant she had been covering for him right? A smile spread across his face as he thought about that. His sister may have been nosy, over bearing, and a bit of a spaz, but I guess she was still a good big sister… It's crazy how time flies when you're so distracted. It's been months since he joined the Titans and not only are they like a family to him, but he's got a girlfriend to boot. He rubbed his chin as that thought crossed his mind. "Maybe I should bring Raven by the Acropolis one of these days? I'm sure she'd like it."

As he was distracted in his thoughts he didn't see that he was about to run into another ghost and knocked heads with it. He stopped and rubbed his head while looking for the ghost he had hit. "What did I….?"

"Watch where you're going!" The bony bird fluttered about in a flustered manner as he gathered himself.

Danny, while rubbing his head with one hand, hesitantly pointed towards the skeleton parrot. "You're that ghost parrot that Youngblood hangs around…. Right?"

That question caught his attention immediately and he flew up into the halfa's face. "Have you seen him! Where!?"

Danny held his hands in a defensive manner as he saw one of the bird's bony wings pop off. "Uh no….. sorry, but not recently."

The ghost bird then flew around in a panic after placing the bones back. "Damn! I have to find him! I have to find him!" It seemed that his little bones were close to popping out of place whenever he moved.

Danny watched the display in curiosity before speaking again. "So he's missing? I mean really missing? Last time he disappeared he was just playing hide and seek."

The bird leveled off and glared at him. "No! He disappeared right in front of me! One minute we're sailing along on the Flying Dutchman and the next he disappears and the ship wrecks on a miserable rock!"

Danny's eyes widened. He thought back a moment to his dash through the ghost zone followed by that horde of Observant Guards. "Wait… that ship! That ship wrecked by my old portal was Youngblood's!?"

"Yes! It crashed weeks ago!" He then began to panic a bit again as he yelled his distress, and popped another dangling bone back into place. "He's gone! If I don't find him…. GHAAAAAAAH! I'll disappear too, just like the crew! I'm already falling to pieces!" He looked like he was scared enough to jump right out of the bandana he wore about his head.

"Calm down." Danny pleaded as he reached out for the panicking ghost. "What are you talking about? What happened to his crew?"

The bird took the perch of Danny's arm offered to him and calmed a bit. "If I don't find Youngblood I'll disappear. I'm a ghost, but I cannot sustain myself like Youngblood. I need to feed off the ectoplasmic energy of another in order to keep my form stable. If I don't, I'll fall to a pile of bones at the floor of the ghost zone. The skeleton crew have already devolved and disappeared into goo and that's the next step after a ghoul losses it's master. The only reason I'm still around is that I was more powerful than them."

He held a pleading look as he tried to keep calm and waited for a response. Danny didn't really know what to say to him. 'What should I say? I've never heard of ghosts needing each other so completely before….. though I guess if they are like those ghouls it's not like they could tell me.' Danny looked over the sullen spook as he bowed his head in sadness. "If I don't find him…. I'll devolve away into nothing but a pile of bones and dust….. I can already feel my energy waning…."

Danny scratched his head, while mulling over a solution in his head. It only took a moment for him to come to a realization. "Wait… you only need another ghost's ecto-energy to stick around right?"

The ghost cocked his head to the side and responded. "Yes, but where am I going to find another ghost strong enough, but still willing to let me draw energy from him?"

Danny sighed and gave him a soft smile, while feeling in the back of his mind he may come to regret this decision. "Well, I know we never got along before, but I would be willing to help you out. Of course only if you don't cause any trouble."

The parrot looked at him in a scrutinizing fashion and flew around him. "You?" He flew around a few more times with his bones rattling before settling on his shoulder. "You do look strong enough and you have been able to best Youngblood…. But would you actually allow me to draw power from you?"

Danny crossed his arms and gave him a smirk. "Well yeah. I mean, we've been enemies, but it's not like that means I'll just let you disappear without trying to help right?" He then lifted one hand with his index finger out. "But, if I do help you then you are not to cause any more trouble for me or the humans. I can understand some harmless fun, but no terrorizing you got it?"

The bird flew up in joy and nodded his head. "Of course! No problem! Though I cannot vouch for Youngblood, I can assure you that I will not cause you any problems." As he continued to nod his head in excitement it popped out of place and he caught it in his bony wings. "Damn!" He popped it back on in frustration.

"You okay?"

"Of course not!" He said with an aggravated tone. "My head just fell off! We need to hurry!"

Danny scratched his head in confusion. "With what? I don't know what you want me to do."

He flapped his wings again. "Just release your energy around your body freely. I'll then draw from it and the link will be established. With the link I can draw energy freely from you for a limited distance without physically touching you." Danny was about to ask another question before another one of his bones popped out and he rushed to get it back into place.

"Alright just give me a minute." He took a deep breath and began to loosen his hold on his own energy so that it can be released. His aura glowed brighter for a moment before the brightness moved to envelop the bird.

Moments later he popped his eyes open and flew up in burst of energy. "Whoa! I've never felt so energized!" His size seemed to increase as he grew accustomed to the new energy. He looked down at Danny who was watching him with a confused glance. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome…. Uh, did you get bigger?"

The parrot looked himself over and realized he was indeed bigger. "What?..." He then began to move his bones around to form a new bird skeleton. "You're right!" He flew around with his new larger wings. "This is amazing! The only bird I could change into before was a parrot!" He then turned and flew back to Danny, perching himself on the halfa's shoulder. "I never expected you to have so much energy."

Danny raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"I can only take a proportionate amount of energy from the host ghost. My form, size and shape changing abilities are in direct correlation to that energy. More energy equals more forms and greater size. With Youngblood I had around 10 different forms, the largest being a horse, while by myself I could not change at all, but with you…. I feel like I could be anything!" He raised his wings. "Just look at my new hawk form!"

He didn't seem to notice Danny's almost regretful expression, fleeting as it was. "I guess….. anyway I need to go now." That got the bird's attention and he calmly flew behind Danny as he started off again. A few minutes passed before Danny finally decided to ask. "Why are you following me?"

The ghostly hawk seemed confused. "I'm linked to you of course. I have to stay within a certain range or the connection will break like it did with Youngblood. I have yet to fully recover from the loss of energy these past few weeks so I doubt I'll last more than a day outside of range." He then flew on gracefully ahead.

Danny floated at a slower pace as he face palmed at his own lack of forethought. "Great…. I've got a sidekick."

"While that's not the best term, yes you are quite right. I do prefer ghostly assistant though. Scott Bones at your service."

Danny shrugged and continued on. "I guess I could have worse…."

He then felt a peck at his head. "Come now, I can be quite helpful if given the chance."

Danny rubbed his head again with a displeased expression. "Fine, but let's stop with the pecking alright?" He received a nod in response and then flew off with Scott flying just behind him.

* * *

He arrived at the acropolis after about an hour, but Pandora was out causing him to have to wait for two more. While he did so Mr. Bones decided to try out a few more of his forms. He would explore each form for a good while before morphing to the next one. By the time Pandora had arrived home he was walking around as a very large lizard. "I must say I do have quite the variety."

"Pandora!" He turned to see Danny greeting the large ghost as she landed her Pegasus drawn chariot.

"Phantom?" She was genuinely surprised as she stepped off her ride. "Whatever brings you here?"

Danny walked over and rubbed the back of his neck. "It has been awhile I know, but I need to ask about one of your artifacts. Would you happen to have something called an Oraxces crystal? It's a large black crystal in the shape of a diamond."

Pandora's eyes widened. "Why yes I would. Why so curious all of a sudden? The last time I showed you that collection you wanted nothing to do with it."

"Well, yeah. The vibes coming off half of that stuff really got to me to be honest. Anyway, another crystal was stolen in the human world. I was hoping you could tell me a bit more about it."

Though she still seemed confused she guided him inside. "While it is a bit surprising to find one had made it back to the human realm I doubt any human could use it properly." She guided him down a few halls as she continued to explain. "This crystal is imbued with ancient magic. As far as I know, there are only a handful to ever exist, and even less who ever knew what they were in the first place."

She tapped her staff on the floor and the doors to the gallery opened wide. She continued inside with Danny and Scott on her heals and they stopped before a smaller pedestal with a black crystal floating above it. "This is it alright." Danny said as he took a good look. "A friend of mine said it was used for summoning."

Pandora nodded. "Yes, it can be used to call ghosts from other worlds."

Danny gave her a skeptical expression. "This thing summons ghosts?"

"Yes, from anywhere the user sees fit. The ghost zone is the most common though."

Danny raised his hand to his chin. "It can summon them from other places?"

Pandora chuckled a bit. "Of course it can, though some worlds require a key to open. This crystal can form natural portals and pull ghosts out of them. The ghost zone has spawned many branch realms over the centuries such as Hades, Gehenna, Elysium, ect… there are many more of course. You could say that the ghost zone is the root to them all and by far the most vast, being just about endless."

Danny looked at her in a bit of awe. He had certainly heard of those places before from Sam when she was still on her Mythology binge. To think the ghost zone would be the source of so many myths…. Though standing in an Acropolis which is home to things like Minotaur he really shouldn't be surprised. "So…. How come I've never seen a portal to those places?"

She placed her hand over the crystal and said a name. "Hades!" In response a polygonal force field appeared around it. "This is what guards them. You can either have a key, or expressed permission to enter by the realms keeper."

"Keeper?"

"The creator of the realm usually, though it can be held by another. This keeper decides who enters and who doesn't. In most cases, ghosts do not have this ability which is why you can simply enter the doors all around, but I'm sure you've encountered a locked door or two?"

Danny was now thinking back to the Observants. They had some kind of special lock in their council hall. "The Hall of the Observants?"

She nodded in response. "Yes. They require special admittance reserved to Observants."

Danny turned his gaze back on the crystal. "But the ghost zone has free access right? If someone were to get one of these and knew how it worked they could easily pull a random ghost right out couldn't they?"

Though she seemed curious about the question she nodded. "Surely there wouldn't be a human still capable of such a feat. Knowledge like that was lost to the humans centuries ago."

Danny then remembered the book that was stolen as well. "What if it were written down somewhere?"

Pandora laughed. "No human could possibly understand such a thing were it written down. It requires archaic knowledge and experience. One would not only need a full understanding of magic centuries old but the key to the Grimoire that holds it. These books were made so that only the owner would have full use of its knowledge."

Bones now seemed to be getting the jist of what Danny was getting at and crawled onto his shoulder in the form of a small lizard. "So you're saying that given the right conditions, someone could simply pluck a ghost from the ghost zone at random and without warning?" She nodded which made his toothy grin twist. "That could mean that Youngblood was taken!"

Danny, seeing him begin to show panic, tried to calm the ghost. "Well yes, I guess, but we don't know that for sure. It's more like a theory." He then turned back to Pandora. "Thanks for helping me out on such short notice Pandora. I really appreciate it."

She gave him a smile with a pinch of worry mixed in. "Of course, it is no problem." She hesitated for a moment before she continued. "Are you alright since the…"

He gave her a sympathetic expression. "It's alright, Pandora. I guess word spreads pretty fast in the ghost zone huh?"

She sighed as she responded. "I heard there was some sort of incident in the human world before your portal disappeared. I was able to get the rest from Lord Frostbite. He seemed quite worried about you."

Danny rubbed the back of his head and then moved down to his neck as his head turned away. "Yeah….. he's always been like that I guess. Anyway, yes I'm alright. You could say I've had lots of distractions to keep me busy recently. I also moved, I can give you the coordinates if you want to know where."

She nodded as her smile lifted. "Good to hear then, and I'm sure they will come in handy should I have any more information on this crystal for you. I believe the library wing might hold a bit of information I over looked." "

Thanks, that'll be a big help." He then said his goodbyes and flew out of the Acropolis with Bones just behind him. "This is getting me more worried by the minute."

* * *

When Danny finally got back to the tower, the sun was starting to rise though just barely. He yawned as he headed towards his bed, but stopped when he remembered his new guest. "Alright, Scott," He said as he turned to face him. "You're going to stay inside this room whenever possible. I'm sure as long as I'm in the tower you'll be fine. No exploring on your own, got it?"

Though he seemed a bit disappointed he nodded in understanding. He did owe Phantom his existence after all. "I guess I can agree to that." He gave him a smirk as the wary halfa turned back towards his bed. He yawned again and changed into his human form before putting on some PJ's and hitting the hay. Somehow, he felt a little less sure of his decision to help the ghost out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now we know a bit more about what was stolen, isn't that nice. Danny's got a new sidekick, much to his own displeasure. What could possibly happen next?=^-^=


	18. A Last Resort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott is useful... sort of, and Vlad asks for quality time.

The halfa awoke the next morning in a groggy daze. He turned and squinted at the alarm clock which read 10:45, of course it took a moment for his vision to clear enough to see it. He sat up and stretched a bit while letting out a yawn. "Guess I should get up."

"I'll say; you sleep like a child." Danny froze a minute as went over who the owner of the voice was. His eyes were then immediately drawn to the skeletal cat sitting at the edge of his bed. "Yes yes, I'm still here. Good of you to notice."

Danny's hope for a good morning was quickly dashed by the snippy ghost he just remembered was sort of attached to him. "Geez, that's some greeting for the guy who saved you from oblivion. Not very grateful are you?"

He slipped out from under the covers as the cat jumped down and headed towards his dresser behind Danny. "Just because I press your buttons doesn't make me ungrateful. Do you have any idea how bored I was when you went to sleep this morning?"

Danny pulled open a drawer to get some clothes. "I guess sleeping wasn't interesting enough for you at 6 in the morning?"

The skeletal specter cracked a few of his bones as he responded. "With all this energy I just received? You have to be joking."

Danny had just gotten his shirt on when he saw Scott jump down and dash around the room. "Too bad you're going to be stuck in here all day then, huh?"

Scott stopped at that and turned to him with a bratty look. "You're not really going to make me stay in here all day are you?"

Danny was now fully dressed as he folded his PJ's. "Yes and it'll stay that way for as long as it needs to be. When I find Young Blood you two can go off and go wild… As long as you don't terrorize me or any humans that is."

Bones clicked his bony tongue as he jumped back on the bed. "You're so boring…." Danny turned towards the door and transformed before exiting. "Why do you bother getting dressed if you're just going to do that anyway?" Danny ignored the question and shut the door behind him. Truth be told it was partially out of habit. The other part went to the likely hood of him accidentally transforming. Few things are worse than running around in PJ's.

* * *

Beast Boy peaked around the corner when he saw that Danny had left. "Alright, time for operation 'Rat Game'. Danny was talking to someone in there and I'm gonna figure out who. Plus I can check out some of the cool stuff in there." Danny was a relatively private person as far as everyone else knew so their venture into the ghost zone was the only time someone other than Raven was allowed in.

It begged the question of what exactly all that stuff was in there. Beast Boy was especially curious of those thermoses since he let that annoying blue ghost out. As soon as Danny was out of sight Beast Boy dashed in with all the grace of a green ninja and morphed into a rat. He didn't want be noticed in case he came back without him hearing him. 'Alright' he thought to himself, 'First stop, the shelf of weird gadgets.'

He crawled over to the shelf beside Danny's bed where the thermoses were kept. The bottom row had a box and a few round metal objects sitting in a pile. He ignored them, however, in favor of the thermoses sitting on the next shelf up. 'Why isn't this a normal thermos….. and why does it look like one if it's not one?' He asked himself in a critical tone. 'This whole thing is weird!' He then scuttled over to a metal belt which sat next to it. He gave it a curious sniff. 'A utility belt maybe?' As he made a move to climb to the next shelf he heard a hiss.

He froze in place as he heard a voice. "I see a little mouse has wandered in….. looks like kitty gets to have some fun after all." Beast Boy slowly turned his small head to see a fierce skeletal cat with an otherworldly glow. "Want to play with the kitty?" Bones asked with an amused tone. He narrowed his eyes as he prepared to pounce.

* * *

Danny headed straight for Robin's room first thing but after a few knocks he realized he wasn't there. "Maybe he's in the living room?" He turned and headed back down the hall. He went over the information he got from Pandora in his mind as he went. 'If I'm right, then those robberies from before and the disappearances are connected.' He turned to the door which slid open immediately to see Robin and Cyborg going at it in a video game. Starfire sat beside the boy wonder watching, though it didn't seem she completely understood it.

Starfire was the first to notice his approach as she leaped over the couch. "Oh, Danny, you must watch this most wonderful game! They are flying space cruisers which are most strange."

Cyborg turned to her with an exhausted groan. "I told you, Starfire, they are giant robots and this isn't space, its dimension 439 – Delta."

Star turned back to him in confusion. "But are you not flying through a void filled with Stars?"

Danny had to hold off a laugh from her reaction. "It's okay, Starfire, you don't really have to understand it to enjoy it."

"Yeah, it's a game." Robin said as he agreed with Danny. "So, you find anything?"

Cyborg raised a brow to Robin as he paused the game. "Hmm?"

Danny flew over to join them on the couch. He plopped down on the far left by Starfire and assumed a serious expression. "Actually, I got a lot. It seems those robberies and the GZ disappearances really are connected."

Robin put down the controller and dawned his hardened vigilantly aura. "What do you mean?"

Danny crossed his arms as he began to explain. "Well, last night when we were talking about that movie I remembered where I heard about that crystal. A friend of mine, Pandora, has one. She keeps it in a special gallery with several other dangerous objects."

"So it is dangerous….. You know what it does?"

Danny nodded. "Yeah, it-" He was cut off as he heard the main door open followed by a high pitched squeak.

They all turned to see a green rat high tail it through the kitchen area followed by a skeletal cat. Danny instantly face palmed as they knocked over several objects on the counter. Beast Boy jumped from the counter and morphed into a hound dog. Once he landed he turned to face his pursuer in time to see it change shape as well. It now looked to be the skeleton of a komodo dragon as it hissed at him. "Two can play at that game."

Beast Boy took a moment to freak before turning into an alligator in an attempt to one-up his opponent but Bones would not be beat. He changed into bear skeleton and hopped onto the reptile's mouth so he couldn't open it. The bony specter delighted in the hero's attempts to squirm free before he morphed into a gorilla. Scott was thrown from his back but quickly struck back in the form of a large snake. He wrapped around the ape's arms tight and let out a chuckle. "Give up?"

Beast Boy gave him an agitated look before the snake was ripped from around him sending Beast Boy into a light spin. "Hey!?"

Danny now had the bony snake head firmly in his grasp as he gave it a death glare. "What part of 'stay in my room' don't you understand! I know I'm talking to you but can you actually hear me?"

Danny dropped the skinless reptile and let him slump to the floor. "Kill-joy."

Danny retorted immediately. "Pest!" They glared for a moment before Bones was suddenly lifted into the air by a dark energy.

"What's going on in here?" Raven asked as she formed an energy barrier with the snake inside it.

Beast Boy made a charge at it but Cyborg held him back. "Let me at that- that….. whatever he is!"

"Chill, man." Cyborg pleaded as he held firm to the polymorph's arms.

Danny sighed. "Sorry about that, Beast Boy. I was about to bring him up to Robin just now…." He turned to glare at Scott. "But unfortunately someone can't stay still for 5 minutes."

Scott was quickly agitated by the insinuation. "Look here, Phantom! I was doing just as you said when that little green rat wandered into your room. What did you expect me to do? I was bored!" He then morphed into a hawk and pecked at the magic barrier. "What the hell is this any way!? Let me out!"

Danny gave him a playful gesture. "Actually, you can stay put for a bit." He then floated up towards the door. "You can keep him there for a minute right, Raven?" She gave a silent nod as he phased through the door.

Robin then walked up to the contained specter. "Just what are you?"

Scott raised a bony brow at the question. "Isn't it obvious? I'm a ghost of course. My actual title is ghost assistant." He seemed a bit proud when he said that. "And you are?" He asked in an almost smug tone.

"We're the Teen Titans, and you're in our house."

The skeletal bird took a look around and seemed a bit impressed. "So I suppose you are the strange humans I heard about who hang around Phantom?" The Titans traded confused glances. "Weren't you the ones who went through the Ghost Zone looking for him?"

Cyborg spoke up with the question everyone had on their minds. "Yeah, but why do you know that?"

The bird responded with a chuckle. "There aren't too many ghosts who haven't heard of it. News about the halfa always spreads quickly even if it's the Ghost Zone we're talking about. As a matter of fact, after his portal shut originally, the greater part of the Zone knew within 48 hours." Robin caught notice of that word, 'halfa,' and thought over it a bit. He'd heard it before….. somewhere. Before it could click, however, Danny floated back into the room.

"Sorry about that." He landed by Raven and motioned her to let him go. "I got him." Once free the bony ghost was immediately grabbed by Danny who jerked him over to the couch. He set him on the coffee table and placed a thermos in front of him. "Now you can stay put like I ask, or you can spend it in the thermos. Your choice."

Scott gave the device a wary and nervous glance before turning away. "Fine….." He then crossed his wings in a pout.

The other Titans were now joining him on the couch and Robin was quick to get on subject. "So? Who is he?"

Danny leaned forward a bit as he started again. "His name is Scott Bones, and he's usually attached to another ghost named Young Blood who seems to have disappeared."

Robin gave him a scrutinizing look as he questioned him. "Disappeared? Like the others?"

Danny nodded. "Apparently he just randomly disappeared, poof."

Scott then took the reins of the conversation as he took a dramatic pose with one wing over his head and sitting down on one knee as if cast out on the street. "It was dreadful! We were simply sailing around the Ghost Zone on board the Flying Dutchman when he was torn away from us! We never saw it coming! Of course then what could be worse than crashing as the ship lost power." He almost seemed to be sulking as he finished.

Starfire was in tears as she leaned in on the ghost. "Oh, what horrible fortune you have had!" Raven almost looked embarrassed by the scene as Starfire was so easily taken in.

"You said us? As in more than just you?"

Bones quickly regained his composure as he turned back towards the boy wonder. "Yes, the ghouls too. Of course they are long gone. Probably bones at the floor of the Ghost Zone by now." He seemed so apathetic it almost threw Robin through a loop, though he's had experience with that sort before. "A ghoul who's lost its master cannot continue existing."

Beast Boy choked in his question next. "Master?"

Scott nodded. "Yes, ghouls required the energy of their master to exist much like I do though we are quite different."

"Then why haven't you turned into a pile of bones? Wasn't Young Blood your master?" Cyborg inquired.

"Well for one thing I'm much stronger than a simple ghoul. Another would be Phantom's doing. He was good enough to share his energy with me before I fell to pieces."

Beast Boy turned to Danny with an almost disgusted face. "So this dud's your parasite?! Ewww!"

Scott was immediately enraged by the obvious slander. He floated up into the teen's face with an irate tone. "I am no parasite you green baboon! I engage in a mutualistic relationship with my master. In return for the energy, I become their assistance for any need I am able to satisfy!"

Danny rolled his eyes as he leaned on one hand. "Of course simply staying in my room is apparently out of your power."

Scott floated back down to the coffee table and waved his wing at the halfa. "Now see here! I told you it was that guy's fault!" He pointed to Beast Boy with his other wing. "If he hadn't come snooping into your room then I would still be laying on your bed, bored out of my mind!"

Danny was shaking his head in agitation as he listened but stopped short. "Wait….. What were you doing in my room, Beast Boy?" Danny asked with a brow raised at the green teen.

Beast Boy gave him a sheepish expression in returned as he played with his fingers. "Well…. I was sort of…"

"Snooping around?" Cyborg interrupted.

Beast Boy shrugged while still keeping his sheepish green. "Uh… yeah?"

Danny was still confused as he questioned him further. "Snooping? For what? I doubt there's anything more interesting than an interdimensional portal."

Beast Boy finally let out the nervous breath he was holding as he pointed to the thermos. "I was wondering about that? What is it? And why does it look like a soup thermos?"

Danny picked it up. "This? Really? It's a Ghost Thermos, used to contain ghosts. Truth be told though, I'm not all that sure why it looks like a thermos of all things." Danny then looked on it with a bit of curiosity. "Anyway, why go sneaking around? I would have told you if you'd asked."

Beast Boy sat there with his mouth hanging open for a moment before responding. "But… but you're always so secretive. I never would have thought..."

"And there's your problem." Raven looked over to him in annoyance. "You didn't think."

Danny rubbed the back of his neck a bit as he smiled at Beast Boy. "Sorry if I came off that way. I just don't like to talk about myself much, of course that doesn't mean I don't keep things to myself. Next time just ask alright?"

Beast Boy slumped over as he gave a nod. "Gotcha…."

Robin sighed as he tried to redirect the conversation. "Now back to the crystal."

Danny sat back in realization of just how off topic they had gotten. "Oh right… Well like I was saying before, its apparently used to summon ghosts. Pandora said, with the right user, it can pull a ghost from anywhere to where ever you want. I think that's how the ghosts like Young Blood just up and vanished. The Observant too, it's the best explanation."

Robin rubbed his chin as he thought aloud. "So whoever is behind the thefts is trying to recruit more ghosts. Chances are, he's got something big planned in that case. What would he want with these particular ghosts though?"

Danny shrugged at the question. "I have no idea. I wouldn't even try controlling Young Blood. He's such a brat most of the time."

Bones nodded in agreement. "That's so true."

Danny rolled his eyes at the bird. "Like you have any room to be agreeing like that. You're almost as bad."

The bird scoffed at him and then proceeded to turn away with his wings folded. "I follow his lead, that's my job."

Danny didn't even dignify that excuse with a response and instead proceeded to continue on about the missing ghosts. "I guess we can only assume he doesn't care what the ghost is able to do, as long as it's a ghost. Whether they are powerful or not, enough ghosts can spell trouble."

"Especially if he can summon them from anywhere." Raven jumped in with a serious expression as she pulled out a book she was holding. "There are many different ghostly worlds, and many contain powerful entities." She flipped to a page showing a chained figure being pulled through the ground. "Hell, Hades, Tartarus, all of these places are filled with bound spirits. Imagine if one of them was summoned? It would be like with Trigon…. Maybe even worse." All the Titans gave Raven almost horrified expressions.

Even Danny, who knew only what he was told of the event, knew enough not to take it lightly. A silence fell for a few minutes between them as the ideas of what could be danced through each of their heads. Danny was able to break it, however, once he remembered something important that Pandora had said. "No wait… Pandora told me that most of these other dimensions required special permission or a key to open. She even showed what would happen if they didn't get it. Some kind of force field appears over the crystal so he does have that restriction at least… though the Ghost Zone itself is host to billions of ghosts weak, and strong."

Robin nodded to Danny's statement. "So if we assume he isn't able to open up any of these other worlds we still have a problem. He can still amass an army and we still have no idea where he is."

Cyborg crossed his arms with a frown. "So basically we have no choice but to wait him out; Perfect."

Bones let out a lite chuckle. "Quite the conundrum isn't it? It's only too bad you don't know another ghost that may have more on such things."

Danny sighed at the bird's obvious tease. "Well Pandora said she would look into it a bit more, but aside from that, I told you all she told me. I guess I could go ask Ghost Writer, but… that may prove to be more dangerous than asking…. Wait…. I do know someone." Danny dashed out of the room leaving everyone hanging for who he had on his mind. Of course in most cases he'd never ask for the man's help but this wasn't most cases. He needed the help if it would be given and who knows if it would.

Danny landed in his room and picked up his cell phone. He didn't have a lot of working numbers anymore, but there were a couple. He scrolled down to one in particular and frowned at the name. "Vlad Masters." He had his number put in his phone when he was forced to move in with the guy, though he never had the chance nor the will to call him unlike the many missed calls logged in his phone from Vlad himself. Danny, though very hesitant decided to dial the number. If anyone had an obsessive knowledge of the Ghost Zone, aside from Ghost Writer, than it would be him. Especially when it came to artifacts as dangerous as this one.

Only two rings went off before he could hear the man's pompous tone. "Hello? Daniel?"

"Hey, Vlad." Danny almost growled. "I need to ask you something. It's about an artifact used for summoning ghosts."

A laugh is heard on the other end. "Quite the surprise, Little Badger. I never dreamed you'd come calling to me for help with anything."

Danny now felt nothing but regret for even thinking about doing something so stupid. "Damn… never mind!"

"Now hold it!"

Danny paused at Vlad's serious tone. "What?" Danny's patience was already wearing thin, that much was obvious.

"I'm sure this has something to do with the Oraxces Crystal that was stolen some time ago yes?" Danny's interest was definitely peaked now. "I'll take the fact that you're still on the line as a yes. Of course I do have some information on that item, but I do need something in return."

"And what would that be!?"

"Calm yourself, Daniel. This isn't going to be anything ridiculous. You see I've been having a few Social Services agents pestering me about progress with you, but since you're not here… you see my problem? If our mutual friend could make a public appearance say…. Next week, I'll give you whatever information you need on it."

After taking a minute to think it over Danny agreed to his request. "I guess you could have asked for something worse….. Fine. Just give me a when and where."

Vlad's response was obviously happy. "Good, I'll send it to you then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder what Vlad could want? Hmm... Maybe I'll tell you later! Probably tomorrow sometime.=^-^=


	19. Conflictions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny avoids therapy, and receives an interesting piece of mail.

The alarm clock read 9:36 as the boy to its right squirmed and fidgeted under the covers. He had the remnants of a cold sweat dripping down his forehead as he eyes burst open. They were frantic and had unorganized movement until they were able to take in his surroundings a bit, after which they slowed to a lazy lull as they shifted towards the clock. An arm thrust up from under the covers and he placed it over his eyes as a groan escaped his lips. "Damn….."

He remained there for a few more minutes before finally forcing himself to sit up. His black bedhead only added to the sleep deprived expression on his face. He rubbed at one of his eyes as he pushed the covers off of himself and stood with a stretch. He got himself together at a lazy pace and morphed in a flash just before opening the door.

"Can I come?" He turned back with a questioning glance; not completely sure what he was hearing. It was then that his gaze fell on the bony form of his new 'Assistant' as he flew up and over to the halfa. He wore a rather bored expression as he yawned. "It's boring staying cooped up, you know? I won't cause any trouble, so let me come."

It was then that the events of the day before came back to him, right down to the deal he made with Vlad. It left a sour taste in his mouth, but now he could clearly remember why he had such a restless sleep. It made sense now….. at least. He made his way out into the hallway with his annoying sidekick floating just behind him with his almost pointless wings. He made a slow and steady B line for the main room until he caught sight of Raven just outside the door. A smile was quick to surface as he greeted her. "Morning, Raven."

She gave a small smile of her own which was quickly replaced with a mild sense of worry. "Morning…. Are you okay?" She asked as she walked over to him.

Danny wove his fingers through his hair as he responded. "Yeah…. Just a bit tired. I didn't really sleep all that well."

"Well that might just be the understatement of the year! You should have seen him rolling about in a panic. I could barely get a wink myself between his random mutterings and his insistence on changing position every five minutes." Bones added in in an annoyed tone as he cocked his head to the side. Danny turned to him with a silent glare that was backed up by Raven's. The minute he noticed, he gave a pointless gulp. "Shutting up now…" He then looked away as he floated in place.

Danny then turned back to Raven as he heard her start to speak. "What is it?"

He rubbed the back of his neck as he mulled over whether to tell her or not. His eyes drifted over to her stern expression as he sighed in defeat. "I… had a bit of a nightmare.." He had a blush on his cheeks as he said it for obvious reasons. He had his head turned to the side again, too embarrassed to look his girlfriend in the eye after such a confession.

"It's alright, Danny." Her words did little to bring up his manly pride, but then she grabbed him by the wrist.

"Whoa!" He yelped in surprise. "Where are we going?"

She answered without looking back. "My room."

Danny gave her a confused expression as he struggled not to lose his balance from being dragged through the hall. "Okay, your room…. Why exactly?"

"Because I think it's time you faced your problem." He still seemed confused as she pulled him into her dimly lit inner sanctum.

Bones, who wasn't being dragged by one of his appendages, stopped at the doorway with a flinch. "I… I don't want to come in here."

Danny turned to him with a raised brow. "What's up with you?" He asked seeing the nervous expression on the bird's face.

"I-I…."

"Fine, just don't cause any trouble alright? The last thing I want to come back to is you picking a fight." The skeletal specter was quick to nod and flew off before another word could be passed between them. Danny then turned to see Raven in a meditative pose hovering in the air.

"I want you to sit like this." She asked as she rested her hands on her knees.

Danny complied with confusion still evident on his face. "What are we doing?"

"A meditation exercise. It'll help you come to terms with your inner turmoil."

Danny could now piece together exactly what she was getting at and tried to wave it off. "What? No, I'm fine, really. It was just a bad dream, that's all, Raven."

She gave him a stern expression as she raised a brow. "Really? You're going to try and tell me it isn't effecting you at all?"

Danny gave her a blank stare before planting his palm to his forehead. "Empath…. Crap, I forgot."

She pulled his hand from his face with a slight smirk. "Now, listen carefully and follow my lead." She interlocked her fingers like a cup and laid them slack in her lap. "You have to focus. Focus on what it is that's causing the turmoil in your mind."

She closed her eyes and Danny followed suit. "So I guess we're meditating then?"

"Yes, now focus. Draw it to the surface. Every memory you have that's related too." Danny peeked one eye open with a frown. The last thing he wanted to think about was his family…. His friends… That thing! "Danny." She said with a slightly irritated tone.

He sighed as he closed his eyes again. "Everything?" He asked in a bit of whine.

"Everything." She almost deadpanned. "If you don't bring up everything then you aren't truly facing your problem."

He gave a slight heaving breath as he started to focus. It became evident, however, only a few minutes in, just how much of a strain that was for him. He eventually just plopped onto the floor with an exhausted breath as he refused to make eye contact. "Raven, I…"

He heard her sigh, successfully cutting off his excuse before it could pass through his lips. "I know, but what you've been doing isn't healthy."

Danny looked over towards her with a frown. "Healthy? Since when is dwelling on the past healthy? I've been trying to move on."

She shook her head. "Trying yes, doing….. well your nightmare answers that one. Ignoring your problem isn't going to make it go away. I've noticed lately how much more you've been bottling it up."

Danny crossed his arms as his irritation built. "Ignoring it? What do you want me to do with it? Dwell on it for the rest of my life!? Besides you're one to talk about bottling things up!"

She sensed the rise of his anger and tried to get him to calm down. "Now, calm down, Danny. Getting angry is pointless."

His eyes fall to a glare. "Pointless? Is it wrong to get angry!? To have emotions!?"

"That's not what I said-"

"Well it sure as heck sounded like it!"

She couldn't stop herself from being at least a bit irritated by his tone of voice. "Just calm down and listen, Danny. You can't avoid it forever. You can't just live your life and hope it goes away! You have to do something about it or it will haunt you for the rest of your life!" She was now standing up in a yelling pose as her face formed a scowl.

"It's not like that! I don't need you psychoanalyzing me Ja-" He cut himself off, quickly realizing his own mistake. His harsh expression softened a bit and he bolted out of the room with little warning. Raven, still wearing a frown, showed a bit of confusion on her face as well as she watched the door slide shut.

* * *

"What do you think it is?" Beast Boy asked as he and Cyborg inspect the envelop.

Cyborg held it up to the light in an attempt to figure it out without opening it. "Don't know. We know it's from that Vlad guy, but it doesn't really look like a trap." As he squinted at it in the light it suddenly disappeared from his hands.

They both turned to see Robin holding it; he gave it a wave in a disapproving manner. "We'll figure it out when Danny gets up. Until then, let's leave it alone." He placed it on the counter. Raven then came silently into the room, taking a moment to look around. When she was unable to find what she was looking for she gave a quiet sigh.

"Hey, Raven!" Beast Boy shouted. "Danny got some mystery letter from his Evil Uncle." He pointed over to the counter though it held little interest for Raven.

"Has anyone seen Danny this morning?"

The three of them traded glances before Robin responded. "No, we thought he was still asleep or something."

Cyborg then checked the clock on his arm. "Though it is getting late for him; It's almost noon." The disappointment on her face was rather subtle but it didn't go unnoticed by the boy wonder. "Something wrong?"

Raven paused a moment, thinking over whether or not to tell them anything when her thoughts were cut short by a disembodied voice. "If you're looking for Danny he's above us." They all turned in the direction the voice sounded from and found the edge of the couch. Bones quickly regained visibility with a bored expression. He had his bony wing pointed up. They gave him uneasy glances and he raised a bony brow. "Come now, what's the problem?"

"How long have you been sitting there?" Cyborg asked in a slightly awkward tone.

Scott cocked his head to side and answered in a blunt fashion. "Here? About 5 minutes, but I've been in this room for a few hours."

"Doing what?"

"Just watching. People watching is probably the most interesting thing I can do without ending up in one of those thermoses again. Anyway, he's up and quite a ways to be honest." He then flapped his wings and vanished as subtly as he appeared. Raven left through the door without another word while the other Titans simply shrugged at each other and went about their business.

* * *

Once Raven had gotten to the roof it didn't take her long to see he was nowhere in sight. She walked around a bit before taking a look up into the sky where she spotted a black dot just within range of her sight. She gave a lite sigh before she levitated up to meet him. He was in a laid back position with his hands behind his head as he stared off into the horizon.

She waited a few moments, hoping he would notice her presence like he normally does, and just before she decided to speak he did instead. "Sorry….. about earlier I mean. I shouldn't have gotten mad at you." He let out a sigh as he changed to a cross legged siting position while still facing away from her. "I guess it really is a problem if I get mad that easily, huh?" He gave a weak laugh and continued. "To be fair though, you were starting to sound like my sister, and talking to her like that has never been pleasant." He took a quick glance back at her wearing an apologetic expression before turning away again.

Raven raised a brow to his admission and took up a similar sitting position before posing a question. "Do you want to try again? The exercise I mean? I know from experience the effects of wearing the weight of things like that."

Danny shook his head. "No…. not really. I've never been a meditation guy." Raven gave a slight sigh which was cut off by Danny continuing. "But…. Maybe a bit later we can talk? I just want to think for a little longer."

"That's good then. The meditative exorcise was supposed to make you reflect on your problems and your past. While blindly plowing forward may get you somewhere, reflecting will often get you where you need to be."

Danny gave her a puzzled look before sighing. "There you go again, sounding just like someone else I know."

She raised a brow at him. "That better be a compliment."

"It's intended to be one if that's what you're asking about." Raven gave her head a sarcastic shake as she rolled her eyes.

* * *

Danny walked into the living room in a rather chipper mood in comparison to how he was earlier. He still looked a bit sleep deprived, but normal in all other senses of the word. Starfire, who had made an entrance a few minutes before, was the first to greet him. "Good morning, Danny." She appeared to be holding some sort of larva creature of which Danny was surprised to find out was their pet. Of course, who was he to judge considering he had a ghost dog, not to mention a skeletal sidekick.

"Morning, Starfire."

"Hey, Danny! Come get your mail!" Beast Boy shouted to him from the bar. He seemed to be having some sort of sandwich which reeked of tofu if Danny's nose was right. He walked over to the counter and picked up the envelope with little hesitance, turning it around in his hand to read the only text on it 'Daniel'. It looked suspicious to say the least considering it had no postage what so ever, but it had to be from him; who else would send him anything so suspiciously? He tore it open in a nonchalant manner which made Beast Boy scoot his chair over in case it was dangerous. Danny pulled out the folded piece of paper and read the short text to himself. "What is it?" Beast Boy inquired as he looked over his shoulder curiously.

"It's a letter, and judging from the signature at the bottom it's from Vlad."

Cyborg placed his arm over the back of the couch as he turned to Danny. "We kinda figured that. What's it say?"

Danny then proceeded to read it aloud. "I know you don't have the best record for being on time, but I implore you not to be late."

Robin and Cyborg traded glances. "Late for what?"

Danny shrugged. "Heck if I know."

Beast Boy then squatted down to see a rectangular piece of paper lying on the floor. "Hey, did you drop this?"

He flipped it over and handed it to Danny who's expression became that of irritated clarity as he gave it a good look. "Figures…."

Cyborg was now up and looking over Danny's shoulder at the ticket. "Whoa…. Wait a minute! He sent you a VIP ticket to the Super Bowl!?"

Danny gave an exasperated sigh. "Yeah…."

"Who's playing?" Beast Boy asked curiously.

"It's the Greenbay Packers vs. the Gotham City Rogues this year." Cyborg then turned to Danny in confusion. "Why would your Evil Uncle send you Super Bowl tickets?"

Danny rubbed his forehead as he gave an exhausted response. "Because he also happens to be the world's biggest Packers fan. For reasons I would rather not explain, I have to spend the day with him. He said if I do, he'll give me all he's got on that crystal. Despite his serious issues, he's one of the few people I know with reliable information on artifacts that relate to the ghost zone."

* * *

Later on that day Danny found himself standing in front of Raven's room with his hand raised like he was about to knock. He had gotten close a few times before he lowered his arm all together. He couldn't help remembering the argument they had earlier even though they had worked it out. "Danny?"

He turned to Robin walking towards him down the hall. "Hey, Robin…"

"What's wrong? Aren't you going in?"

Danny turned back towards the door. "Yeah, at least that was the plan. I….. sort of had an argument with her earlier, and even though we worked it out it still feels…. I don't know, awkward maybe?"

Robin gave him a smirk. "I guess that's only normal, but I wanted to talk to you anyway. You said you were leaving tomorrow right?"

Danny nodded. "Yeah, just for one day though. Hopefully I won't get stuck with him for longer than that."

Robin gave him an understanding nod. "Just be sure to call if you run into trouble. Remember, you have a team to back you up."

"Good to know." He said with a smile. "Though I really hope it doesn't come to that." He raised his hand to his chin. "It seems recently, for reasons I don't know, he's been rather tame. At least when it comes to me, though I'll never entertain the idea that he's given up. Its not something he's good at." Danny couldn't help but roll his eyes as he thought about him never giving up on his mom even after 20 years. Robin gave him a curt nod before knocking on Raven's door causing Danny to call out in a whine. "Hey!"

"Just figured I'd help you out a bit." He responded with a smirk as he continued down the hall. Danny didn't have much time to stay angry, however, once Raven answered the door.

"What is it?" She asked in her standard monotone, but with a slight smile. Danny chewed his lip a bit as he struggled to string the words together in his head. "I was….. maybe we could…. I don't know, talk?" He asked in an unconfident tone.

She stepped aside and allowed him through where the two of them sat cross legged much like they had that morning. "So what is it you wanted to talk about?"

"Well, its like earlier. You told me you wanted me to confront my problem, but the loss wasn't what kept me up last night." Raven raised a brow. She could only guess from the all too familiar expression he wore from that morning that he had been feeling a bit depressed and stressed. "Don't get me wrong though, talking about it really helps. For the record though, if asked by a psychologist, I will deny it." Raven held her hands clasped together in her lap as she gestured for him to continue. He weaved his fingers through his hair as he started. "Well, I know that you know about the accident. How everything actually happened?"

She nodded. "You're talking about that other ghost you were fighting that was partly you and partly Plasmius right? How it came back to try and ensure that things went the way it wanted?"

Danny nodded with a somber expression. "Yeah….. I never actually saw it happen. It was second hand from the older Vlad. You didn't see everything, huh?"

Raven shook her head. "No, but I saw enough."

Danny wore a pathetic but whimsical smirk. "Yeah, I guess you did. Anyway, according to how Vlad tells it, I was nothing but a wreck after what happened. It didn't take him long to want to try and 'fix' it." He put his fingers up into air quotes as he said the last part. "Whether I had any say over it… well he didn't really go in to it, but he tried to separate my negative emotions from me and in doing so, he tore out the ghost in me. Because the ghost now only had those few limited emotions he turned around and tore the ghost out of Vlad. The two of them fused when they met and created that monster."

Raven gave him a look of understanding, now having every idea of why he didn't want to be anywhere near Vlad. It was like his way of keeping himself in check. If he didn't go with Vlad then that crucial event wouldn't happen. "So, you're worried that going there would cause everything you tried to stop, to happen?"

Danny gave a nod as he turned his head to the side. "I know it sounds crazy. I'd never let him get near me period, but….. I don't know. I guess I'm paranoid."

"A bit." Raven stated all too bluntly. She wore a smile as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright though. Sometimes we think we're paranoid when we should be wary. As long as you don't let it take over your life, I'm sure it should be fine. Too many things have changed if you ask me." She then took up his hand into hers. "But I want you to be careful, maybe check in a few times?"

Danny chuckled at her clingy gesture. "I'll be sure to keep you posted with every creepy detail, and probably the score. Vlad will probably keep that info flying around." Raven gave a lite laugh at his sarcasm which made Danny raise a brow. "Funny am I? Worried one minute, then laughing the next. You're more emotional then you let people think." He said as he moved over so that he was sitting right beside her. The tension of their conversation seemed to evaporate as Danny continued. "Though if you did show that to another guy, I'd probably be jealous." He then slid his hand around the back of her waist and the other around the front.

Raven jumped, red as an apple when Danny lifted her up and placed her in his lap. "Danny!?" She tried to get up, but Danny kept a firm grasp around her waist. "What are you doing?!" She turned to the side in his lap to see the teasing expression plastered on his face.

"I figured it would be better than the floor. Am I wrong?" He asked as he weaved his hand through her hair to settle on her cheek.

The look he gave her made her face flash a new shade of crimson as she refused to make eye contact. "It is but…"

Danny gave another laugh at her reaction. He really couldn't help himself. Her calm demeanor was nowhere in sight as she sat in his lap obviously flustered. "Adorable." Danny said as he slid the back of his fingers down her cheek. They stopped at her chin and without another word he pulled her in for a kiss. Any inkling of her trying to escape his grasp died as she lost herself in the warmth. By the time they parted Danny found her arms around his neck, and a green blush had now found its way to Danny's face to match (sort of) hers.

Unfortunately a loud knocking on Raven's door caused them both to stumble back to reality. "Raven? I would very much wish to speak with you please." Raven couldn't help but glare at the door in slight irritation while Danny gave a muffled laugh.

He then took her off of his lap and whispered. "Some timing, huh? Anyway, I'll come by in the morning alright?" She gave a silent nod as she stood to head to the door. She watched as he phased out of the room before answering to the call of her fellow female Titan.

* * *

The next morning Danny awoke rested and relaxed. It surprised him how lite he was feeling. Could talking like that really change so much? He then found himself rolling his eyes at the idea of Jazz being absolutely right. He sat up and stretched with a yawn. "Wow…. I don't think I've slept that good in a while." He then noticed Bones sleeping on his side at the foot of his bed. He appeared to be a cat with his long tail twitching every so often. "I guess I'll probably have to bring you along with me." Danny thought aloud, none too happy about the idea.

As he got out of bed Scott seemed to stir, most likely due to the sudden movement of the bed. "Hmmmm…." He peaked his eyes open to see Danny over at his dresser changing. "Oh…." He got up on all four of his bony paws before shaking, starting at his head and ending at his tail. "Seems you had a decent night's sleep this time around?"

"Definitely. I haven't felt this good in….. hmm? I don't remember how long I guess." He finished and morphed with a bright flash of light. "Just stay put for a sec. I'll be right back and then we have to get going." Bones watched in mild amusement as Danny flew off through a wall. Danny landed silently in Raven's dark room. It seemed odd at first to just phase in without asking, but it was early and he didn't want to get the attention of the other Titans who were probably sleeping.

He silently floated over to her bed side quickly blushing at the sight of his girlfriend sleeping peacefully. "Damn…. Now I'm thinking I should have knocked." He whispered to himself. After a brief argument with himself about what to do he settled on just going with what he planned from the get go. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gently shook her into waking. "Raven…. Raven, wake up Raven."

After a moment she stirred with a slight groan. At first her eyes only peaked open a bit, eager to see the foolish mortal who dare wake her, but as soon as she saw it was Danny they opened wide. "Danny?" She sat up and rubbed one of her eyes.

"Sorry about waking you up, but I did tell you in advance."

Raven looked over to the alarm clock which read 6:30 and then back to Danny. "So you're leaving?"

"Yeah. I'll call to check in as soon as I get the chance. Expect it in the next few hours alright?"

She nodded with a smile. "Be careful alright?"

Danny gave her a teasing smirk. "Aren't I always?" He asked just before coming in close and landing a quick one on her much to her surprise. "Just make sure you're still here when I get back." He then flew quickly through the wall back to his own room, leaving Raven bright red and wide awake. Her fingers tracing the fleeting warmth of her lips.

* * *

"Alright, Scott let's get moving." Danny said as he grabbed his backpack and headed over to the portal. Scott flew up just behind him with a smirk. "Well, it seems you're in an even better mood than before if my eyes don't deceive me." Danny rolled his eyes at the bird's jab. "If you really want to know, I am. Now let's go." He walked into the closet and waited for his bony sidekick before typing a few buttons on the command module. He then quickly dove through the swirling vortex dragging Bones behind him.

It took a little over an hour for Danny to reach this particular portal. It was a lot further than the one he had in Amity Park. The door, which was usually closed because Vlad was no fool, was now wide open welcoming the pair to come through. "At least I don't have to knock."

"Didn't know there was another one of these." Scott stated as he looked at the bulky metal frame.

"Yeah well, just make sure you do your part okay."

Scott gave a sarcastic salute with an irritated expression. "I understand perfectly."

"Okay, but do keep in mind that covering me in this case means low profile. I don't need you getting Vlad's attention alright?" He then took a moment to look over the spectral bird. "Actually, you should change into something smaller. Not quite so easily noticed." Scott gave an empty sigh as he morphed his bones to form the skeleton of a small lizard. Danny then grabbed him and put him in his bag's outer most pocket. "I'll let you out a bit when I can so just stay quite."

He then flew across the threshold of the portal to be greeted by a pair of blood red eyes. "Ah, Daniel, oddly enough you seem to be on time."

Danny's face quickly formed a scowl as he responded. "Wouldn't want to make you late would I?"

Vlad gave a chuckle before morphing back to his human form and closing the portal behind the younger halfa. "Witty as always I see." The older man looked on with hidden surprise as Danny seemed to give off his standard hostility. It had all the determination of before the accident and he couldn't help wondering to himself exactly what happened. Surely he hasn't gotten over it….. could he? It baffled him, but he was not about to make that come across to Danny in the slightest. He turned and waved for Danny to follow. "Let's go then, our flight is in an hour."

Danny morphed back to follow him. "Where is it being held anyway?"

"Texas was chosen this year. Before the game I have a bit of business to attend to and then Bruce Wayne will be hosting the after game party since he's there to support the Gotham City Rogues." Danny could see the smirk forming across his face at the challenge. He could only assume it had something to do with them not standing a chance against Green Bay.

"And then?" Danny prompted with a slightly bored tone.

"And then we will come back and you can have all that I promised. I already have it all together, but like I said, not until after." He then turned with a serious expression. "Now I'm sure you know what should be said in case any reporters and the like come up to you with any questions?"

Danny rolled his eyes before putting on a fake smile. "I'll be sure to let them know what a great job you're doing taking care of me."

Vlad rolled his eyes as he turned around with a slight grumble. "Teenagers…."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt a little emotional confliction was needed especially if Danny was finally going to Vlad even if its only temporary. I also used this as a reason to put in some fluff yeah! =^-^=


	20. American Pastime?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny has some fun at Vlad's expense, and meets another teen who is oddly familiar.

"Well, this has been a whole lot of fun." Danny said in a bit of a grumble as he sat in a chair in a lobby. Vlad had been in and out of meetings all day and it only made him wonder if he even planned to go to the game at all. Danny sighed once again as he skipped down the playlist on his mp3 player. As he laid his head back he heard the faint sound of a door slamming. He turned towards the hallway to see Vlad exit with a rather pleased expression. "About time." Danny stood up. "I thought we'd never leave."

Vlad rolled his eyes as he smiled at the teen. "Well, I'll have you know that this is prime time for business. All these powerful people in one spot is rather convenient."

It was Danny's turn to roll his eyes. "So what? You over shadow them too?"

It was a rhetorical question but Vlad answered anyway in a rather proud tone. "That only shows how little you actually know, Daniel. Despite what you may have assumed, I rarely go to such lengths and haven't needed to in over a decade. I do have a degree in business management and have come to be rather skilled in the trade." Danny raised an eyebrow with slight intrigue before Vlad turned over his watch on his wrist. "I suppose we should get going now. We have a little over an hour before the game."

He then stopped mid-stride as he approached the doors. "Oh, and before I forget." He turned to Daniel and rummaged through his coat to pull out his wallet. After a moment he pulled out a black plastic card. "This is for you. It's for a regulated account that I control. I trust you know the best times for its use, and won't go spending it wildly."

Danny didn't reach for the card at all and merely wore a wary expression. "I hope you don't think you can buy me."

Vlad merely rolled his eyes with a smirk. "As if I would be so foolish." His expression then turned serious. "Like it or not, Daniel, I'm your legal guardian now, and as such I can chose to entrust you with whatever I want. It wouldn't do if you weren't given some sort of… allowance, yes that's what I'll call it." He said with a grin. "Besides, I'm sure you could find one or two things to spend it on. It's not like heroism pays all that much." Danny took it begrudgingly after Vlad almost forced it into his hand. "If you're that against it then just put it away and never use it. It makes no difference to me. All that matters is that I gave it to you."

He then continued out the door with Danny trudging behind him with an annoyed expression. He made a gag motion when Vlad let out a short pompous laugh as he climbed into the limo. "This day isn't moving fast enough." Danny grumbled as he too climbed into the limo.

* * *

The arena was crowded as Danny shuffled through behind Vlad and their VIP escort. They get to sit in the private box with all of the other rich snobs Danny probably won't relate to. The idea alone was making Danny almost regret agreeing to this thing in the first place… almost. He still needed the information of course. The minute they stepped into the cordoned off hall it seemed almost as if the crowd outside didn't exist. The door shut out the whole mess which bordered on scary in its own way. "Here we are, Mr. Masters." The security guard stepped out of the way and allowed both Danny and Vlad to step through.

What awaited them inside was like a culture shock to the teen compared to the outside. When outside he saw tailgate parties and rambunctious fans, inside he saw lush dining and the rich and powerful leisurely chatting away in a relatively quiet manner. Only a few of the well-dressed patrons seemed to be wearing any sort of team affiliation like Vlad who wore a green collared shirt under his black suit along with a gold tie. "Now, Daniel, its half an hour until kick off. While you are free to do as you want, I do hope you won't cause any sort of scene." Vlad asked without facing him.

Danny didn't even have to look at him to see a smile curling onto his lips. It's like he fully expects Danny to pull something. Danny simply sighed and rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He then spied a couch right up by the glass which separated him from the elements. He sat back on the plush overpriced piece of furniture as he silently gazed out at the crowd filling the seats around them.

"So how much longer do I stay in this stuffy pocket?" Bones squirmed out of Danny's right pocket though he wasn't so bony anymore. He was now sporting the skin of a lizard toy with the stuffing removed.

Danny looked down at the specter in slight annoyance. "Fine, come out, but don't draw attention to yourself alright? There are a lot of people around."

He clicked his tongue in response. "I'll have you know I'm rather good at people watching." He then disappeared from sight and quickly from Danny's thoughts as his eyes drifted back to the crowd outside.

"This seat taken?" A voice asked from behind. Danny turned to see a tall clean cut man with black hair much like his own. He had a soft smile and pointed next to him.

"No… go ahead." Danny responded as he gestured to the empty cushion to his left. The man then wandered around and took the cushion in question.

Danny felt slightly awkward about the silence that settled in so he decided to break it. "So what team are you for?" He asked as he rubbed the back of his neck.

The man crossed his arms and looked out over the field. "I'm from Gotham so I'm for the Rogues. What about you?"

Danny shrugged. "I don't really care to be honest. Vlad dragged me here."

The man raised a brow. "Vlad Masters? I saw you come in with him. That must make you Daniel Fenton."

Danny turned to him in intrigue. "Yeah."

The stranger's eyebrows raised in a curious manner as he reached into the inner pocket of his suit. "Do you mind if I ask a few questions? I'm with a national newspaper called The National Inquisitor."

Danny turned away from the man and rolled his eyes. While he could just ignore the guy, it would be far less annoying to just give him what he wants. Otherwise he'll just bug him for the next few hours. "Sure." He said with a grumble in his tone.

The man nodded in response. "Alright then, first question. It's been a few months since you've come to live with Mr. Masters, how well do you believe you have adjusted?"

"Fine." Danny answered so immediately it seemed to catch the man off guard.

"Okay….. so how does it feel to be living under the care of one of the most powerful men on the planet? Do you view him as a good father figure?"

Danny had to stop himself from laughing at that one. Vlad? Like a father? As if! That guy should never be put in the position of being someone's dad. "It's fine and no, I don't view him as a father figure. He's my guardian, that's it."

You could almost see a smile form on the man's face for an instant before he started the next question. "So you don't see him as any sort of role model at all? Why not? He's been exceedingly successful. I for one would like to learn a few of his business secrets."

Danny couldn't help but let out a slight laugh at that one. "Yeah, business secrets."

That remark peaked the man's interest slightly as he asked another question. "And you're quite the lucky kid yourself. A regular rags to riches scenario. Average kid from a middle class family becomes heir to one of the largest fortunes in the world." He said as he framed it with his hands. "The man is certainly not lacking in humanity or kindness even though he was a friend of the family." Danny felt a scowl forming on his face as the man continued. It irritated him to no end that Vlad could be seen in such a ridiculous light, like he was nice or not a total dirt bag. "You're one in a million kid."

Danny now found himself glaring at the man. "Lucky?! Really?! I'd rather-"

He was cut off by another much larger man who had placed his hand on the reporter's shoulder. "I think that's enough." He said with a strong glare of his own. It wasn't menacing, and to most it wouldn't seem like much, but when you're up close like this, it was almost like a silent threat. The smaller man pulled away his shoulder and tucked his notepad away. He was gone from the couch in seconds, obviously moved by the larger man's stern expression. Aside from his black suit it seemed he was wearing a yellow collared shirt underneath with a standard black necktie. "Sorry about that. Paparazzi can't come in but the national news can."

Danny sighed a bit and turned back towards the field. His frustration, which had built from the reporter's questions, still very evident on his face. "Even newspaper columnists need to make a buck right?" He said in agitation and an obvious hint of sarcasm.

The larger man gave him curious expression. "Hit a nerve did they? Well, it happens."

Danny sighed. "You could say that again. I miss being able to just be invisible…"

The man raised his brow. "Invisible?"

Danny stumbled with his words a bit before working them in to a bit of smooth misdirection. "W-well, before…. The accident I mean. I wasn't exactly popular, so I never got noticed…. Except for maybe some misplaced aggression. That's probably why I never cared for football."

The stranger nodded. "Ah, I see. Living outside the limelight does have its advantages. I doubt the media is in any hurry to interview some random teenager on the street."

"No kidding." Danny concurred, his frown starting to recede a bit. "What I wouldn't give to be one of those random fans."

The large man crossed his arms as he looked onto the crowd. "Who says you can't? Pick a team, have some fun. That's really what these events are about." Danny remained silent a moment as his deep thought slowly changed to that of an epiphany.

"Ah, Bruce Wayne if I'm not mistaken" Danny recognized the all-too familiar voice immediately.

"Mr. Masters, I had a feeling I'd see you here." Danny turned to watch the exchange with a side glance.

"It's been a few years hasn't it? You're looking well." Vlad commented with a whimsical smirk; the kind you give out of necessity more so than sincerity.

"Good, and you don't seem to have changed much at all. Of course having solid white hair could easily compensate for the gradual grey most men your age are sporting."

Vlad gave a laugh at the shallow jab. "You're not getting any younger yourself you know."

Bruce adjusted his tie. "Well, that may be true, but I still have more youth than you. I plan to spend my time wisely."

Vlad gave another lite shallow laugh. "That very well may be, and speaking of time, have you given my proposal any thought? I know Mr. Fox has already shown it to you."

A young man dressed as a waiter walked by with a tray which Bruce took from. "I'm sorry, Mr. Masters, but I feel it wouldn't be wise to mix alcohol and business." He then took a lite sip right in front of the man.

Vlad didn't lose his gentlemen's smile, however, and just turned his eyes to Danny. "Enjoying the view, Daniel?"

Danny shrugged as he started to get up. "I guess. Its way more interesting than all the other things I've done today. Especially the whole waiting around for hours ones." He then proceeded over to the door.

"Just where are you going?"

Danny jammed his hands into his pockets and turned to him with a smirk. "Gonna make a call. I'll come back before it starts alright?" Without even waiting for Vlad's response he left through the door and the millionaire could only sigh.

"Troubles in paradise?" Bruce asked with a raised brow.

Vlad turned to him with a rather exasperated expression and a bit of annoyance to the fact that his business rival of all people was pitying him. "You could say that. I've been having trouble getting him to open up." Of course not that he's really done anything to make him trust the older halfa. Vlad couldn't help going over all of the ways he's tried to force the boy's hand.

"I'm surprised." Bruce commented causing Vlad to query his reason.

"It's not like I've ever been in this position before."

Bruce's face then formed a smirk. He knew Vlad Masters more than he let on. Vlad was infamous for getting deals made that otherwise would have never happened. Bruce was almost positive he was using some sort of ability on his poor victims. This was the reason for his own actions which avoided most if not all business with the man no matter how legit the proposal. "I just find it strange that you can force the hands of veteran businessmen over night but you can't handle a teenager." Truth be told, he was very curious about that. Was it that he was genuinely unwilling to use his power or was it that for some reason or another, he just couldn't?

"And I'm sure you have plenty of experience as such an eligible bachelor." Vlad said as he rolled his eyes.

"A bit more than you I'm sure. He seems rather stubborn so just give him some space."

"I'll have to agree with Mr. Wayne on this one." Another man walked up to the pair. He was wearing a blue suit and looked to be a bit more than middle aged. His stark white hair was little compared to his rather pale skin, but his most noticeable accessory was the large gold chain coming from his pocket. You could see the top of the pocket watch it was attached to. "Excuse me for interrupting but I couldn't help but over hear your conversation. My name is Timothy Keeper and I think I may be able to give you some helpful advice."

Vlad raised his brow to the nosy old man. Bruce was a bit more welcoming, at least on the outside. The thing that bothered him inside was the fact that he had never met this man before even though he made a point to greet everyone when hosting an event. "It couldn't hurt right, Masters?"

Vlad sighed a bit before straightening his tie. "Well I suppose not."

Mr. Keeper smiled. "Well I'm sure he'll open up as long as that's what you honestly want him to do. Honesty is the best policy when dealing with stubborn teenagers and as long as you pursue it in earnest he'll eventually grow to understand that. They say that trust is built with great labors but is destroyed with little more effort than speaking but a few words."

Vlad took a moment to think about it. The advice itself seem rather insightful, but the man, he was another story. Vlad had the strangest feeling about him but could not seem to place exactly what it was. "I see." He said as he raised his hand to his chin. "How could I get him to understand that then?"

Mr. Keeper gave him a subtle knowing smirk. "Just be supportive then. Next time he needs something, even if he doesn't ask, help him, and don't set a condition for it." Vlad seemed a bit bewildered by the remark as Tim took his leave of the conversation.

* * *

"So anything interesting going on?" Danny asked as he floated around the storage room. The Titan's communicator was showing a relatively bored Raven. "Not much. Robin left to meet with one of his old contacts. What about you?" Danny took a position as if he was laying on his back in mid-air. "Well, aside from being bored out of my mind, not much. I'm surprised he hasn't tried anything though. It almost makes me even more paranoid about it."

Raven raised a brow. "Maybe he's not."

Danny instantly gave her a skeptical look. "Yeah, if only."

Raven frowned in response. "I'm just saying; he's left you alone for months and now that he's bothered you again he asks you to spend the day with him. Either he's plotting something incredible-"

"I already knew that one, Raven." Danny interrupted much to the responding scowl that now adorned Raven's face.

"-or maybe he really isn't trying anything at all."

Danny gave a sigh in response. "So you're saying he called me out here just to spend some quality time with me?" Danny asked in a disbelieving and sarcastic tone.

Raven gave an exasperated sigh in response. "Yes." She responded causing Danny to immediately start laughing at the bluntness of the ridiculous statement. "Danny!"

Danny wiping a tear from his eye as he calmed his laugh. "Oh come on, Raven, that's ridiculous."

She shook her head in response. "Look, Danny, I'm not going to even begin to say that I understand the relationship between you two. You have a history and I get that. All I'm saying is he may be trying something new. You said he tried to kill your father out of some kind of revenge, right? But they were friends before? Maybe the accident put things in perspective for him."

Danny was confused for a moment before shaking it off. "That would be….. no, he's not like that. The only perspective he has is his own."

"Just think about it alright, Danny. Don't try anything unless he does, and if he does, call us."

She gave him a soft and worried expression and he nodded in response. "Alright, I'll keep that in mind." A small smile crept across his face. "I don't know why I even try arguing with you sometimes. I never win."

She smiled in response. "It's alright, I enjoy the challenge. Keep in touch, alright?"

"Of course." Danny responded as Raven disappeared from the communicator. He then floated down and phased through the wall. After landing back in a bathroom stall he morphed back to his human state. "Of course that doesn't mean I can't have a little fun right, Uncle Vlad?" He had a slightly mischievous smirk as he headed down the hall towards the souvenir shop.

* * *

Danny walked back into the VIP room with a very sly grin on his face. A quick look around the room and he found the old cheese head sitting on the couch he had claimed earlier. He strolled up nonchalantly with his hands inside the pockets of his new hoodie. "Hey, Uncle Vlad, did I miss kick off?" Danny asked in a whimsical tone.

Vlad waved him over without turning back to him. "Actually, you're just in time. Is this going to become a habit?" He asked in a sarcastic tone. The smile he was wearing instantly fell as soon as he saw what the boy was wearing. Danny plopped onto the couch with a satisfied smirk while Vlad could barely respond to the new addition to Danny's wardrobe.

He was now sporting a black hoodie with a yellow Gotham Rogues emblem. The back was adorned with the team's catch phrase "Go Rogue or Go Home!" emblazoned in yellow lettering. "What's wrong, Uncle Vlad?" Danny asked in an innocent tone.

Vlad let out a grunt and turned back towards the field where the teams had just taken their positions. "Is that how you want to play it, well that's fine with me, Daniel." His frown quickly formed a competitive smirk as the players began to move about the field.

* * *

By the time half-time rolled around Vlad was a bit cranky as he sat with a scowl and his arms crossed over his chest. Danny was yucking it up as he watched the brooding billionaire mumble to himself, trying so hard to rationalize the current score with the Gotham Rogues in the lead. "Come on, the Rouges have almost a double points lead, there's no way the Packers are going to pull up from this."

Vlad scoffed at the notion. "The game isn't finished yet, Daniel. You'd best keep your gloating to yourself until the victory is assured."

"Mr. Masters." A familiar voice called from behind them. They both turned to see Bruce Wayne approaching with a teenage boy dressed in a suit. He had black hair, and seemed to be rather practiced in how to act in these circles.

"Hey, Mr. Wayne. Enjoying the game?" Danny asked as he gave a playful glance to the none too happy billionaire next to him.

"Of course. The first time in 15 years that Gotham has made it to the Super Bowl and we're winning." He then gestured to the young man at his side. "By the way, I'd like you to meet someone. This is Dick Grayson."

Vlad raised a brow. "So this is what you meant when you told me you had more experience. I'm quite surprised, I would have never pegged you as the type." Danny rolled his eyes at the irony of Vlad, of all people, saying that.

"He was with some friends before and that's why he's only just getting here. I figured he might want to meet Danny since he looks to be the only one in here around the same age."

The boy outstretched his hand to Danny. "Nice to meet you." Danny happily took the gesture, but upon shaking his hand a strange feeling of Deja-vu came over him. It seemed to show on his face which Dick noticed. "What's wrong?"

Danny scratched the back his head. "Oh…. I just feel like I've met you somewhere before."

Dick raised his brow in confusion. "That's weird. I got the same feeling."

"You ever been to Amity Park?"

He shook his head. "Not to my knowledge." Of course that was a bit of a lie but he hadn't even stepped foot out of Fenton Works, so it's not like he would've met someone.

"How about you? Ever been to Gotham?"

"Nope, I guess it's nothing then huh? Anyway, my name's Danny Fenton." He introduced as he sat back on the couch.

The other teen walked around and took a seat next to him. "So half-time huh? Who's playing?"

Danny pulled out the little guide he was given at the shop. "According to this they have Cheap Trick and Billy Joel."

Vlad noticed the disappointment on Danny's face immediately. "Well, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised you're disappointed. Of course they picked them for a different generation than yours, dear boy."

"I happen to like Billy Joel" Bruce Wayne added in as he took a seat by Dick on the couch.

* * *

By the end of the half-time show the two teens seemed to be longtime friends much to the surprise of the two billionaires they came with. The scene was a great contrast to the men as they seemed to keep a cold distance, only talking for conversation and little else. To anyone who took a close look, it almost looked as though a subtle standoff was occurring with no probable reason.

The reason was simple, however, in the fact that they did not trust each other. Each man's reason was lost on the other but the un-trust was easily sensed by both. By the end of the game it didn't seem to dissipate either. With Vlad being the sourpuss on the couch and the other three reveling in the victory as the Rogues let the clock run. Danny gave him a teasing glance as he cheered with the rest of those rooting for the Rogues. Vlad simply grunted and turned his gaze.

Danny laughed in response. "Come on Vlad, it was pretty close there at the end."

"Hmph, if they had just sold me the team they wouldn't have lost."

Both Danny and Dick laughed at his comment. Danny had told him earlier of his extreme packers obsession and about him trying to buy the team on multiple occasions. Bruce looked onto the scene in amusement as Vlad continued to sulk and he got up from the couch. "That has to be the first time I actually enjoyed a football game."

Robin gave him a wry smile. "It's not the best reason, but at least you enjoyed it. By the way are you coming to the after party? Bruce has something special planned on the chance that Gotham won." Danny could see the spark in his eye as he said that and listened in closely.

* * *

It wasn't long before the many wealthy patrons had relocated to Bruce Wayne's after game charity party. While the common man drinks beer, the wealthy drink champagne in a much more tame environment. Bruce took the stage with a mic quickly getting the attention of all his guests. "Welcome! As you may know, my father was always a supporter of the Rogues and so I wish to continue that by throwing this charity party. Since the Rogues won I will now reveal the special event planned for this evening." He signaled to the wings and a banner rolled down above him. "It's a charity Bachelor Auction. All proceeds will go to funding sports programs all over Gotham city." He then walked off the stage and the booth up front began taking names for the auction.

Vlad was the first to approach him wearing a smirk. "Quite an interesting idea." He said with his arms folded behind his back.

"Actually, one of my board members recommended the idea. She said it was a new trend." He was then approached by a few other well to do men and became lost in conversation with them. Danny and Dick approached from the direction of the booth with satisfied smirks on their faces.

"And just where are you two coming from looking so very guilty." Vlad asked with a raised brow. He could tell they were up to something without a doubt in his mind, and his usual ability to guess Danny's next move seemed to be failing him.

"Guilty? Whatever do you mean, Uncle Vlad? We were just looking at the program. Dick told me about it and there's even going to be a bachelorette auction next." Of course Danny's acting didn't fool him one bit, but he had no way of really knowing what he had up either his sleeve nor the other boy's. Once the booth had closed the Auctioneer took the stage.

He held a list of names in his hand and started to explain the rules. "Now, ladies, feel free to bid on however many men you'd like, but do save some for others." He got a laugh from the crowd for that one and then he continued. "Now, highest bid wins and the winning bid gets to keep the man for the whole night. The Bachelor will have wait on the winner during that time. Any Bachelor whole fails to do so will have to pay a fine equaling the winning bid on him. Of course all proceeds shall be going to charity so it's still for a good cause. Now we'll start, two at a time."

He then called out the first set of names. He gave an intro like a salesman's description of each before allowing the bidders to go wild. By the time the man got to the end of the list Danny was practically speechless at the crazy amounts of money these women were spending on the guys. It's no wonder he was using this for a charity event. "This is nuts."

Dick turned to him with a grin. "And it's going to get better don't you think so?"

Danny matched his grin as he agreed. "Definitely."

Now the man was queuing up for the last set. "Now, ladies, I hope none of you have lost hope. I've saved the best for last and with these next two gentlemen you're going to want to go all out!" Vlad who was taking a sip of his Wine nearly choked on it when he heard his name called. He looked onto the stage wide eyed as the auctioneer awaited him. He was confused as he approached the stage until a stray glace at Danny answered his question. The boy was obviously messing with him, first with the hoodie and now with this stunt. He took a calming breath and continued towards the stage in confidence. He wasn't about to let Danny win by seeing him unsettled.

As soon as he hit the stage several women approached as they listened to the Auctioneer. "Now, ladies, we have here a real gentlemen. He's famous for being not only one of the richest men in the world but an aggressive business man too. And I know what you're thinking, ladies, 'How could this get any better' right? Well because our last Bachelor, who needs no introduction, just so happens to be the only man in the room with a fortune to rival Mr. Masters, Gotham's own Bruce Wayne!"

He stepped onto the stage with a debonair look and took a spot near Vlad. "Seems they got me too." He said low enough so that only Vlad could hear.

"It would seem so."

After their auction was finalized what the ladies spent on the earlier men seemed like chump change. Together the 2 men sold for well over a hundred grand with Bruce getting slightly more due to his youth and the fact that many of the guests were from Gotham. Danny gaped at the final amount speechless. "Okay, that was a little scary." Dick commented just as the 2 billionaires left the stage.

"You're telling me? Did you see them? I hope to never be in that situation….. ever."

"You and me both." They watched as the ladies parted for the winning bidders to instantly take the hands of their quarry.

Danny then took the bag off his shoulders. "I need to get a picture of this."

As he rummaged around Dick noticed a familiar cylindrical object off to the side. "What's that?"

Danny pointed to it with his camera in hand. "This? It's called the Fenton Thermos. It catches ghosts… yeah it sounds crazy." Danny said with a sheepish expression. "My parents were ghost hunters and they made some pretty crazy stuff."

"Actually, it's not as crazy as you'd think, though I used to not believe in ghosts either." Dick responded with a lit laugh.

Danny rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. "Really? I guess I'm just so used to the crackpot reaction. My parents even got me into the habit of carrying one around with me just in case." He then raised up the camera to get a shot of Vlad with his new 'owner' temporary or otherwise.

While Danny was busy having a bit of fun, Dick was deep in thought about Danny. He seemed familiar in so many ways, but its like it was on the tip of his tongue. He remembered him from the accident in Amity Park but he knows for a fact he's never met him….. right?

* * *

Danny arrived back at the tower just past midnight. "It isn't up for discussion, Bones."

"Come on, you have to admit it was funny."

"And I told you not to pull any stunts like that… even if it was funny."

Bones flew around him in a huff. "Come now, I only pulled one prank! Besides, no one even noticed me."

Danny rolled his eyes as he closed the portal. "Actually, Vlad did, and you better be lucky he didn't realize you were with me or I would have never gotten back this early."

Bones landed on Danny's dresser as he walked out. "You are such a wet blanket you know that?"

Danny just mocked him a bit with his hand before phasing through the wall. He made sure to be quiet if the others were sleeping but the big ruckus he was hearing from the living room seemed to indicate otherwise.. "Isn't it a bit late for this sort of thing?" As he approached closer he could hear yells.

"What are you doing, Beast Boy!?"

"It's stuck! I can't help it."

"Starfire! Circle around and cut him off!"

"You humans dare to attack me!? Such arrogance!"

Danny picked up speed and took off when the familiar puff of cold air escaped his lips. "Damn it!" Once he got to the door he phased right through to see his friends all trying to capture one ancient looking ghost. The snobby prince was being chased around the room by Raven and Starfire while Cyborg took shots at him from the ground. Beast Boy was behind the couch trying to pry open a thermos which appeared to be jammed. "Aragon!" Danny yelled as he made himself known.

Aragon turned to him with venom in his eyes. "Phantom! You show yourself at last! Relinquish my amulet at once!"

"Well excuse me if I don't get right on that!"

Beast Boy looked to Danny with relief on his face. "Just in time, dude!" The minute he let up on the cap of the thermos it finally popped off much to the changeling's delight.

Danny unfortunately wasn't so happy as a glittering object fell out. "Beast Boy, no!"

It was too late, however, as Aragon caught sight of it. "My amulet!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never written Badger Cereal but I did want a realistic change. Vlad's never had any real experience with kids aside from those clones which he treated like minions. I figured he needed a little bit of depth in that department.=^-^=


	21. A Lead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aragon is dealt with, but another problem quickly pops up. Later, Danny is presented with a request that may point them all in the right direction.

It was utter panic as the royal ghost dove down for the apparel as if it were life itself and he beamed when he touched it. The grin that spread on his face was terrible as he clutched it between his bony fingers. "My amulet! Finally! Dora will rue the day she crossed me!" He quickly placed it around his neck and its glow followed soon after. "Now you humans will pay for getting in my way!" He shouted as his transformation set in.

Danny tried to cut him off with a tackle through the living room windows, but it seemed to have little effect. Even while only half transformed Aragon had the hide of a dragon. He finished his transformation as he fell and his broad wings caught him before he hit the ground. "Worthless peasants!" He bellowed as he flew up towards the roof. "You will bow to your betters!" He hovered in place in front of Danny who floated between him and the tower. "You too, Phantom! You ruined my sister with your modern ideas; you and that woman!"

Danny raised a brow. "Says the guy who kidnapped her in the first place?" He said with all sarcasm intended. Aragon responded with a puff of fire which Danny easily dodged. His next move was not so obvious as he swung up his tail, which grazed Danny's arm. Danny grabbed it in pain, and the dragon took advantage by slapping down with his claw.

Aragon wore a smirk as Danny fell like a rock towards the water. "Take that, knave!"

His victory was short lived, however, when a green blast struck his chest. "Yo, scaly! You forget about us?" Cyborg wore a satisfied smirk when he saw the scorch mark left and a none too pleased prince. Beast Boy was the next to move as he took on the form of a Pterodactyl and swooped down at the dragon with his gloved talons. When he missed he turned into a leopard and landed on his back, swiping at him every chance he got with his ecto enhanced claws. Starfire joined Cyborg in laying down fire only she was coming from behind him.

Raven took her chance to check on Danny before a large, black, spiked tail got in the way. She stopped herself before it hit but barely. "You will do nothing of the sort, wench!" The dragon yelled as he shook Beast Boy off his back. Raven's hands glowed with her magic as she recited her magic words. With one motion of her hands she wrapped his wings up and caused him to fall to the water himself. He struggled madly to break free and finally succeeded just before hitting the water. The breaking of her spell shook Raven a bit but she quickly recovered.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw something break the water, but she couldn't tell what. Meanwhile, just below the waves, Danny sank down in a semi-conscious state. "Whipped are we? Well, come on then." The voice felt like it was leading him to the surface and his alertness grew. "Hurry up now. If you change back like this, I could very well lose my connection."

Danny's eyes snapped open to see the form of a bony hawk floating in the water next to him with its ethereal glow helping to distinguish it clearly. "Scott?" Danny asked as he felt his head.

"Of course, you twit, who else?" Danny shook his head and now finally realized he was under water. He silently thanked the fact he could go long periods without air and flew up towards the surface. "So what's the plan?" Scott asked as he flew behind him.

"Plan?"

"Of course. You don't think you stand a chance alone do you?" Danny knew his words were true, Aragon was way too strong for a one on one fight as a dragon, but it did hurt his pride to hear it from an enemy, previous or otherwise.

"Yeah….. wait, what's the biggest thing you can turn into?"

Bones raised a hairless eyebrow. "Well….. I'm not sure."

"Could you try something as big as a dragon?"

Bones mulled it over a bit but nodded. "I can certainly try. It might take some time though, I've never gotten so big before."

"Alright, maybe I can distract him. We just have to weaken him enough to get that amulet off of his neck." Danny then took the lead as he blasted out of the water. He was just in time to see a green gorilla be squeezed in the claws of the malevolent dragon. Danny pointed both hands forward and fired at the large black claws. Aragon howled in pain as he dropped his prey. Starfire was quick in catching him and she flew him to safety.

"Yo, Danny, you got a plan for this guy? You know him right?" Cyborg shouted while firing off another blast.

Danny kept his gaze on the shifty dragon as he responded. "If you can get the amulet off, then he's powerless!" Danny then flew at the dragon with a playful look in his eyes. "So, Aragon, were you having fun!?" He asked as he grabbed the dragon by his tail. Raven used her powers to bind him again making him a perfect toy for Danny. "I know a few tricks too." He then flew off while dragging Aragon through the water. "This one's called walking the dog!" He then proceeded to swing him around like a top. "And this one's around the world!" He then let go leaving Aragon to careen into the water.

"Did you get him?" Raven asked while still on guard.

"No but it should give us some time. I need everyone to concentrate on the amulet. Otherwise this might not end." She nodded as he watched the water begin to stir.

Aragon burst forth from the water with a column of fire, and he didn't look to be in a good mood. "Filthy worms! How dare you treat a prince in such a way! I will have you all hang upon my dungeon walls!" He barreled forward as fast as he could and just before he reached them he was knocked in the stomach from the water.

A large skeletal dragon had burst from the waves while now blowing smoke of its own from its nostrils. "How's this for big! Time to fight fire with fire!" He then breathed fire at the black dragon who only seemed more surprised than hurt. As he wrestled with the other dragon Aragon didn't even notice the winged reptile as it left a present on his snout.

Cyborg stood firm on the irate dragon's nose with his ecto cannon at the ready. "Booyah!" He said as he shot him right between the eyes. He recoiled in pain and Beast Boy caught the metal man as he fell.

"You will all pay for this dearly!" He yelled as he scratched at his eyes.

"I don't think so." Raven said as she waved her glowing hands in the air.

"I'd have to agree." Danny commented as he watched the dark energy envelop the amulet and yank it from his neck. The change was almost immediate as he shrank down to size and now Bones towered over him. Danny flew over with a smirk and his thermos. "So, Aragon, how do you think your sister will punish you this time? It's not like she can just throw you out again." Before Aragon could answer, a glowing aura appeared around him and he vanished without a trace. Danny went wide eyed as he looked around. "What the…..?"

"What happened?" Cyborg questioned from BB's back.

"I don't know….. he just vanished…."

* * *

"So anyone know what happened?" Beast Boy asked as Starfire helped him with the burn he got on his upper shoulder. She shook her head in confusion. "He seemed to just vanish…. It is most strange."

"You're tellin me." Cyborg said in a griping tone as he watched a feed from the sick bay's vid screen. "I didn't even give him proper pay back."

"At least you got that awesome shot at him. I was just about to get mine when he disappeared." Grumbled Beast boy as he winced from the pressure of his bandages being tightened. "Easy, Star!"

"Oops." Star responded as she adjusted them.

"Payback or not, he disappeared." Danny said as he tied off his arm.

Raven had just finished helping him with his cut and was rolling the extra gauze to put away. "And we need to figure out exactly where he went." Raven finished for him.

"Well, I at least got the amulet away from him. Without it he isn't much of a threat. On the other hand, I'm not so sure this is unrelated to our other problem. If ghosts can disappear in the ghost zone, why not here right?"

"Exactly." They all turned to see the boy wonder standing at the doors to the medical bay. He wore a very serious expression as he walked up to Cyborg.

"Robin? You're back pretty early aren't you?" Cyborg asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah, good thing too considering what just went down." He then turned to the vid screen. "Is this the recording of the whole thing? How did it start?"

Beast Boy used his good arm and scratched the back of his head. "I think it was Raven's room. I was walking past it in the hall when the guy just walked through the wall." Robin then turned to Raven with a confused expression.

"I wasn't in there." She responded to his silent question. "I was meditating on the roof."

Danny crossed his arms and added in his own defense. "He could have just entered at that point though. Chances are, he didn't originate in the tower."

"Then how exactly did he get here? The only portal around is yours." Robin questioned with a hand on his chin.

"That's the thing, it's not."

Both Robin and Cyborg were giving him weird looks. "Who else has one? It's not like they sell them on the public market." Cyborg responded with confusion evident in his voice.

"Yeah, but portals spawn naturally. I just happen to have one created unnaturally." Danny began, seeing his explanation was getting them slightly more confused. "See, the Ghost Zone and the Human world are two sides of the same coin. They aren't separate but entwined together. There are many natural portals that form on the precipice between the two worlds." He explained with moderate confidence.

"Then why don't we see more ghost like that?" Cyborg asked. "And why is it that ghosts are still so uncommon?"

Danny gave a lite shrug. "Truth be told, I don't know. I got all that second hand. From what I could gather though, some places have a weaker boarder than others. A good example would be The Bermuda Triangle. Apparently portals open up all the time there."

"Wait, are you saying the legend of the Bermuda triangle isn't a hoax!?" Beast Boy said with a confused but interested grin. "That means I win!" He turned to Cyborg. "You owe me so many chore duties." Cyborg only gave him a sarcastic, disbelieving look in return.

Robin then stepped up to get things back on track. "So what happens to the people who go in?"

Danny scratched his head a bit. "Well, they'll come out pretty fast but in a different time and place. The Ghost Zone doesn't just span through space but time as well. You could very well end up stuck somewhere like Salem in the 1600's." Danny responded with a not so happy expression. "I recommend not testing it out for yourselves though."

Robin was taking the controls of the screen. "So what you're saying is that, in general, he can pull a ghost from anywhere on Earth or the Ghost Zone, and because it links through time he can pull them from whenever he wants?"

Danny hesitantly shook his head. "Well, not time. I really doubt he'd be allowed to do that. If you think about it, pulling through time would require him to pull through 2 dimensions and I don't think the crystal is that strong. Plus Clockwork would prevent it in the first place especially since the other Observants would pester him until he did." Danny said with a far off angry expression. He then shrugged and crossed his arms. "Anyway, I guess the first thing we need to do is find a way to track down the crystal right?"

Robin nodded as he stopped the vid at a point. "Yes, and I think I have an idea of how." The screen showed the scene where Aragon glowed a bit before disappearing. He then pointed to it specifically while turning back to the other Titans. "You see that energy there? I bet it's an effect of the crystal causing that. If we use that then all we'd have to do is find a way to detect that energy."

Cyborg then took the controls and linked them to his arm. "So what you're saying is that we need an energy print. Then we can build some sort of detection device that will let us know where it's coming from."

Robin nodded to the cybernetic Titan. "Yeah, but we'll have to wait until the energy turns up again and we'll have a limited range for detection."

"I can probably modify the communicators to detect the energy. That way if any Titan gets close enough, we'll know immediately and we can narrow down the location from there." Cyborg stated as he continued on the computer. He then took out his arm's adapter and turned towards the medical bay doors. "I'm gonna go see what I can whip up." He then left through the doors.

"I brought back the materials on the crystal, so maybe we can get some useful information from them." Danny said as he turned to Raven. "I'm probably going to need your help, Raven. Most of it's in languages I've never seen." She gave him a silent nod as she levitated to the door with Danny not far behind.

Beast Boy let out a yawn. "Well, you guys can do that. I, for one, am going to sleep before the sun comes up." Beast Boy said while rubbing an eye and heading out of the room.

Now it was just Robin and Starfire in the room as she gave him a slight blush. "You do not have a duty now, yes? Could we then spend the quality time?" He found whatever will he had breaking under her forlorn gaze as he nodded with a soft smile.

* * *

"So, why do you know all these languages anyway?" Danny asked as he flipped through one of the only books he could read. He could see Raven's eyes shift as she read each page at a rather astonishing rate.

"I enjoy reading and knowing how to read in multiple languages tends to be helpful." She said without ever lifting her gaze. Danny thumbed through a few more pages before rubbing at one of his eyes. "If you're tired, I don't mind carrying on alone. You did get up early yesterday." Raven said as she raised her eyes above the edge of the book.

Danny let out a yawn in response and nodded. "Yeah, but I don't want to just dump it on you. Even if I can only help a little, I want to do what I can." He turned another page and his face immediately morphed into intrigue. "What the….."

"What is it?" Raven inquired as she lowered the old book she had been thumbing through.

"This thing…." He said as he flipped the book around. "I've definitely seen it before….. geez, why do I keep forgetting such important things?"

The page depicted a blood red orb and a brief description. "Imperious Orb….. Once a powerful artifact in Necromancy. Only one has ever existed and its current whereabouts are unknown. Originally thought to be created by Alfonse Faust more than 600 years ago….." She continued down the page quickly and silently with her brow raising all the while.

"So?"

Raven sat back and pondered it for a moment before responding. "I believe that may be related. According to that passage and this book here, both that orb and the crystal where created by the same cult around the same time. Of course the crystal could be much older, but it says here that there is a good chance they had one." She said as she pointed to the page covered in forgotten script.

"Does it say anything about finding one?" Danny asked as he looked the page over in vain in an attempt to figure it out for himself.

"No…" Raven responded as she lowered the book. "I haven't found much of anything about tracking one down. There are a lot of passages even I can't read." She then closed the book in her hands and peeled open another one.

"I guess it can't be that easy huh?" Danny said as he took another look at the depiction of the orb. He gave a lite shudder before turning the page again. "Still, that thing gives me the creeps."

* * *

"So there wasn't anything at the spot?" Robin asked as he looked at the two speedy heroes through the vid screen.

"No, Senior Robin, nada." Mas replied.

" _There were lots of old buildings, but it was empty."_ Menos added in with a frown.

Robin sighed as he gave it a bit of thought. It had been over a week since Cyborg had completed his detection program and this is the first hit they got. Mas and Menos were the closest Titans to the location but it seems they missed whatever was there.

"Alright, let me know if you happen to seeing anything." They nodded and the screen went black. Robin turned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Even this is turning out to be a dead end…."

"Relax, Robin, I'm sure we'll get something." Cyborg said as he strolled in.

"I hope so. I can't imagine what this wack-job has up his sleeve."

Cyborg nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I still can't really grasp what it is he's doing, but he's a criminal and they have to slip up sometime."

Robin gave his cybernetic friend smile. "Good point."

Cyborg nodded and then proceeded to pull out a chief's tog from thin air. "Alright, so dinner time! I'm makin my special 3 meat spaghetti!" He shouted with a grin before heading over to the kitchen area. Robin gave him a smirk before turning and settling down on the sofa.

* * *

Danny was flying through the ghost zone after meeting with Frostbite. He had spent most of the time just going over small things about what was going on and the like. He's come to respect the FarFrozen's council quite a great deal. He was just passing by a normal purple door when a shadow appeared on it. The halfa hadn't noticed, but it had noticed him. He continued about in a nonchalant manner towards the portal to get home.

Once he landed at the cave entrance Cujo immediately ran to him though when he got close he started to growl. "Cujo?" The little green dog was on edge and began to growl at what looked to be nothing at all. Danny took a good look around to make sure, but nothing was all he could find for his trouble. "Alright, Cujo, settle down." He gave the dog a pat on the head. "I'll bring you some leftovers later, sound good?" The dog then jumped happily at the mention of it, his earlier agitation gone with the mention of food.

Danny then made his way inside his portal where he was next confronted by an angry skeleton. "Where were you!?"

Danny rolled his eyes at his unfortunate roommate. "I told you I was going to be gone awhile."

The bony bird flapped his wings in agitation. "It was far too long! I could feel my energy waning while you were gone! Next time I'm coming with you!"

Danny raised a brow. "Over my dead body, Bones. You're fine, so stop being so paranoid."

Bones scoffed at him. "Easy for you to say, you have your own power." He then flew back over to the dresser where he proceeded to sulk.

"Hey, it's not my fault you're like this, I'm just trying to help. I'm also trying to track down Youngblood cause, believe me, I don't like our arrangement any more than you do." Danny then left through the door with not another word.

Bones, however, found himself turning back to the door with a worried expression. "Back to Youngblood, huh?" He took a good look at himself and the rather large form he had and then thought back to the tiny parrot he once was. There was no comparison between the two, especially after he turned into that dragon. With a sigh he took off and phased through the ceiling.

* * *

Later that night Danny returned to get some sleep at a rather late hour. He didn't see Bones anywhere, but it wasn't a real problem for him. "I guess I won't have to worry about him nagging me to sleep tonight." Danny then morphed to his human form and changed into his pajamas. He was just about the pull down the covers when he felt a familiar cool sensation crawl up his spine and a mist escaped his lips. He turned with a green glowing fist to greet Scott just phasing through the wall. He was able to stop himself just short of frying him.

"Whoa! Be careful with that!" The bony specter shouted with less than a foot between him and the hot plasma ray.

"Oh…. Sorry, Scott. I just sensed a ghost so I….. Yeah. Anyway, sorry about that." The bird gave a nod and said little else about it, much to the halfa's surprise. He just flew over to the dresser, tucked his beak under his wing and went to sleep. It was strange for Danny who was far too used the being chewed out, complained at and talked half to death.

"Goodnight?" Danny said though it came out as a sort of question.

"Hmmm? Yeah, goodnight." Bones responded.

"Okay….. weird." He then shrugged it off and slipped under the covers to greet the sweet slumber that awaited him. The night went on peacefully for all in the tower but Danny.

He was battling a nightmare, or more specifically a memory. A none too pleasant one about when Vlad tried to melt Dani down into a puddle. "Breaking up is hard to do unless you have a button that does this!" Danny watched in horror as Vlad pulled down the lever and the waves of electricity shot through his younger cousin. She screamed out in pain as she begged for Danny to save her. He flew over to the binds, and as soon as he touched them a shadow burst forth from out of nowhere.

Danny flew back from the impact but was able to stop in midair. "What the heck?" He scanned the room until he noticed one out of place shadow being cast. He warily flew over and a set of piercing red eyes appeared.

"Hello ghost boy." A voice, seemingly coming from the shadow, said. "Quite the nasty nightmare isn't it?" It let out a chuckle.

"Who are you!?" Danny demanded as he lit up his fists with his glowing green energy.

"Yes, we've never met. My name is Nocturne, the ghost of sleep. I have also been referred to by you humans as The Sand Man. Am I correct in assuming you're the halfa the denizens of the ghost zone speak about?"

Danny nodded with a wary brow raised. "Yeah…. Why?"

The shadow then stretched up and took a humanoid shape. His body was very tall and seemed to reflect the night sky up to his head. His blood red eyes glowed fiercely and added to his mysterious form quite nicely. "Good, I wasn't quite sure when I saw you myself. You're nothing like I imagined. I figured someone strong enough to take out Arch Spirits like Undergrowth and Vortex would appear more formidable."

"What is it you want from me?" Danny questioned in a commanding tone.

The specter just bowed with one arm holding his stomach. "I have come requiring your assistance. Rumor has it you're not above helping ghosts even though you fight other ghosts often. I have lost something very important and have recently found who it was who stole it." He then held out his hand and a spherical stone appeared that almost resembled the full moon. "This the Somno Lapidem or the Sleep Stone as you may know it in the English tongue. It is a special artifact that I use to gather energy from human's dreams all over the world. I require this energy to survive but several months ago it was stolen from me."

Danny crossed his arms. "Then if you know who took it, you can get it back yourself."

Nocturne shook his head. "I tried, but in doing so I became captured by the thief. I am using an astral projection to communicate with you now. Of course I could escape had I possession of my stone, but without it I am nearly powerless."

Danny gave him a skeptical look. "So you want me to save you? How am I supposed to know if this is real? Not some crazy trick?"

"Well, I cannot say that crossing you hadn't crossed my mind. I thought about coming to the human realm to acquisition power by force over the humans to regain my power, but the portal was closed before I had the chance. It was only by chance that I found myself before the thief and even I'm not sure how it happened." Danny gave him a cold stare before Nocturne's grin finally fell and he sighed. "I can bear no proof that it's not a trick ghost boy, but I am not the only ghost he holds in his clutches. There are many more here with me, and there is even another arch spirit, being his latest acquisition. Have you ever heard of the Quetzalcoatl? It is depicted as a dragon bird in human culture."

Danny's cold tension warmed a bit as he took a good look at the ghost invading his nightmare. "Arch spirit huh? I guess I can see what I can do about it. Do you have any idea where you are right now?"

Nocturne shook his head again. "I can only offer you an image of what I saw before being moved to my prison." He lifted his hands and a blue mist erupted form them. They soon formed a misty screen which depicted the starry sky and a forest as his surroundings. The moon was barely covered by the couple of small clouds that held close to the sky. The only notable landmarks to be seen were a large mountain and a crumbling building before a red light pierced the shadows and the image evaporated. "That is all I can show you before I was imprisoned."

Danny took a moment to think over what Nocturne had showed him and over the prospect of even helping him. He knew of course that not all ghosts were evil, but many of the ghosts who came seeking him out, never did it without an ill-natured motive. He gave a sigh and turned to the tall specter. "I'll see what I can do about it, but I'm not making any promises, you didn't give me much… wait…. How many ghosts are there with you?" Danny asked as a realization fell on him.

Nocturne raised a brow. "I'm not all that sure. He keeps us in small groups."

Danny rubbed his chin a bit. "Is there a bratty kid or a snobby prince there?" Danny asked while still giving him a wary gaze.

Nocturne nodded. "There is one known as Prince Aragon here in the same cell as me."

Danny's eyes widened. "Holy crap!"

Nocturne narrowed his eyes. "Something disturbs you ghost boy?"

Danny let a grin come to his face. "No, but I think this may just work out for the better."

A grin then found its way to the sleep ghost's face. "Ah, it would seem we share a common enemy then, do we not?"

"It's looking that way."

Nocturne then nodded in approval. "Good, then as thanks I shall remove you from this nightmare." With a wave of his hand the background melted away and a new one formed. "Enjoy, ghost boy." He heard Nocturne say in a slight echo as he soon found himself in his girlfriend's room. He turned to the tug he felt on his arm as the dream Raven took hold of it and leaned on his shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, hope you liked it. I'm reeling the story in so now its gonna be getting into high gear. I don't think there will be any more tangents before the Titans face down their elusive foe. Also I would like to make a few key points about my story. 1st - The episode of Danny Phantom 'Frightmare' never happened. I also reworked his character just a bit. His personality will stay relatively the same but he won't be power mad, instead he'll be like a lot of other cocky over powered ghosts. I don't plan for him to be a protagonist either by the way. =^-^=


	22. Ghost Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Titans split up to investigate some leads. Danny and Raven stumble across a familiar face.

"Okay so we're going to Colorado?" Danny asked with a brow raised. Cyborg was looking over a map he had printed from his computers and pointed to a spot depicting mountains.

"Yeah. It's the only thing in the country that has all the stuff you described. The constellations, the specific trees and the mountains. It also happens to be where one of the signals popped up."

Danny perused the map a bit. "What about the other two?"

" Me and BB are going to check out the one in Africa, and Robin and Star are going to Iceland. Hopefully one of us finds the spot." Cyborg then took back the map. "Kid Flash is already there and should be expecting you and Raven."

"Be careful when you get there. Yours is most likely the right location so if it turns out to be right, call us right away." Robin said with an urgent tone. He was now dressed in winter gear because it was still early spring and thus still cold that far north.

"Sure, I'll let you know."

"You ready, BB?" Cyborg asked as he saw the changeling enter the room.

"Yeah, I'm all set to go prowling in the Serengeti."

Cyborg gave him an exasperated expression. "You know we're going to be on the west coast right?"

"What's your point?" Asked the changeling.

"That's on the eastern side of the continent."

Beast Boy's ears flopped down in disappointment. "Aww….. I wanted to prowl through the tall grass."

Cyborg shook his head as he headed for the door. "That's the Savannah you're thinking of, BB." The both of them left through the door in the midst of their conversation.

"So are you both okay traveling without the ship?" Robin asked the halfa as he prepared to leave.

Danny nodded. "Don't worry, I have a plan for that." Danny responded with a confident tone. "It'll probably be even faster anyway."

Robin gave him a curious look before Starfire came in. "Alright, just be careful."

"You too, ghosts can be tricky to deal with most of the time." Danny shot back at him. Then both the boy wonder and the tamaranean left to join Beast Boy and Cyborg at the T ship.

* * *

"So, what exactly is your plan?" Raven asked as she floated through the portal in Danny's closet. Danny followed just behind with a thermos on his back.

"I just happen to know the quickest way to almost anywhere. The Ghost Zone is like the ultimate shortcut." He then took point as he flew out of the cavern. Raven raised a brow as he took off and was quick to follow his lead. They flew quietly towards their destination and after a while Raven was able to make a good guess as to what it was.

"So we're going to see Frostbite?" She asked as she flew to his side.

"Yeah. The FarFrozen have a special artifact that they guard. I've been allowed to borrow it whenever I want because I've helped him protect it on occasion."

"Oh? The FarFrozen? This will be so much fun." A voice blurted, seemingly from nowhere.

Danny let out a sigh when his bony appendage came into the visible spectrum. "And here I thought I had gotten rid of you….."

Scott simply shook his head. "Now now, it wouldn't do for an assistant to stay behind during such a crucial fight."

Danny rolled his eyes. "We don't even know if there's going to be one, Scott."

"Even if we don't know for sure yet, it's pretty likely. We may need his help."

Danny turned to Raven and sighed in defeat. "I guess that settles that then." The bony bird cooed in happiness as he took lead even in front of Danny. They kept the formation until the frozen wasteland came into view. Once he laid eyes on it, Bones zoomed behind Danny. "What's up with you?" Danny asked as he took a glance back at the suddenly shy specter.

He gave him a sheepish smile. "Well….. the FarFrozen aren't too friendly to outsiders."

Danny raised a brow as he turned back towards the winter land. "For good reason too I'd wager." He said as he shook his head. They landed inside the boundaries of the frosty realm without any trouble and made their way to the village of the FarFrozen. Raven shivered a bit under the cold breeze and pulled her cloak around herself. "Oh, sorry, Raven. I forgot about the cold."

She walked over to his side. "It's alright." Bones took on the form of a penguin as he waddled just behind the two of them. Frostbite was genuinely surprised to see Danny when the three of them walked into the village. Of course he greeted them with open arms, though a bit hesitant when he spotted the bony penguin in the rear of the group.

Danny was quick to explain his circumstances to his ghostly ally. "So that's why I need to borrow the Infi-map."

Frostbite gave a serious nod. "This is a grave time indeed, Great One. I am very disconcerted to hear that, mostly due to the fact that some of our own have gone missing as well."

Danny's eyes went wide. "Who was it?"

"It was Polar and Hailfall. They were on a routine patrol and never came back. We found the patrol craft crashed and empty in a ravine on the north end."

"Damn!" Danny cursed as he slammed his fist into his hand. "I can't believe they could just disappear like that." He then looked back to Frostbite. "I'll keep a look out for them when we find the guy responsible."

Frostbite pat his shoulder. "You have my thanks, Great One." He then placed the map in the teen's hand. "But be careful. I have a very bad feeling about this whole mess. Don't let your guard down."

Danny gave a nod as he turned to exit the cave. "I don't plan to."

* * *

It wouldn't be wrong to say Raven was a bit surprised at the object. It seemed like a ridiculous concept, a map that could be made of a supposedly infinite realm. The real surprise for her was with how the map worked, however, as it pulled the three of them through the zone with little warning. Bones seemed to struggle not to lose his grip as he wound himself around Danny in the form of a snake. His yelling could be heard for a great distance, growing ever louder as they almost run into several strange structures. When they finally stopped at an unfamiliar portal Danny took a moment to rip the clinging specter off his person. "Would you calm down already! Let go!"

"You can't really blame him." Raven said as she brushed the hair from her face.

Danny gave her an apologetic smile. "I suppose I should have warned you about the sudden take off part." He rubbed the back of his neck with a nervous glance towards the portal. "I guess we should get going then." Raven nodded with a lite smile and flew through first. Danny then turned his attention towards the snake still coiled around him. "Could you please get off!?" He flicked Scott on the forehead to snap him out of his stupor.

"Ouch!" He instantly morphed back to his standard hawk form and began rubbing the spot with his wings. "That hurt."

Danny raised a skeptical brow. "And I thought you were hard headed…. Anyway, let's go." Danny then turned and headed through the portal. The minute he flew through he received quite a shock to find himself under water. He was quick to fly up and out and found Raven wringing out her cloak. "Well, that was unexpected." Raven shot him an agitated look through her matted hair. Danny gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that….. you never know where you'll come out sometimes." He then flew over and placed a single finger on her shoulder.

She flinched as he let his intangibility flow over the two of them and the water fell back into the container below. "Thanks." She said in a slightly less agitated tone and then she turned to look over the small town beneath them. They both immediately noticed something off. Although it was still daylight, for some reason or another, there were no people to be seen. "… It's kinda quiet…" Danny remarked as he flew down towards the street.

Raven levitated towards the windows of a store to see them empty. "Where is everyone?"

Danny flew over a few smaller buildings trying to spot even one citizen when he saw a dust cloud charging at them from the other side of town. "What the?" The cloud zig-zagged through the buildings and eventually stopped right in front of Raven, who was standing by the empty shop.

As the dust cleared Raven's confident guess as to its identity was confirmed as a teen clad in yellow and red with a lightning bolt on his chest now stood before her. "Well hello, Raven." He said in a flirtatious manner. "Robin's such a nice guy to send a beauty here to help me." He grabbed her hand and kissed it before she could make any protest against it. "Welcome to Saquache Colorado, population 493…... or zero I guess. I haven't found anyone else aside from you. A real oasis in the desert."

His charming smile was short lived as it was cut off by a tap on his shoulder. "Excuse me?" Asked a very agitated Danny. He crossed his arms as he floated behind the speedy teen with his ghostly tail flowing about.

"Hello….. and you are?" Kid Flashed asked as he turned to face the ghost. He couldn't help but find his lack of legs to be interesting as he took several positions to inspect the wispy tail, seeming to teleport to the naked eye. "By the way, do you know that you don't have legs or is that normal?" He then passed his hand a few times quickly through the misty tail. "Neat."

Danny let out a grunt as he floated back a bit. "Could you stop that?" He almost spat at the honorary titan. "Anyway I'm Danny Phantom, Robin sent me too."

Kid Flash gave a nod in response. "Oh right, I'm Kid Flash, fastest boy alive."

He let his hand out in a shake which Danny was extremely hesitant to reciprocate before Raven gave him a slight nudge in the side. "Fine…."

He had the shake for all of two seconds before Kid Flash moved again and found his way back over to Raven with his arm draped over her shoulders. "So…. Come here often?" He started as he continued to flirt.

Danny wore a slight scowl as he turned to his new flirtatious friend. "Hey, Kid Flash, don't you think we have better things to be doing?"

Kid Flash raised a brow at the obviously angry tone of the halfa. "What's up with you?" He asked as he jolted over to Danny. "I'm just having a bit of fun."

"He's right, we do have better things to do." Spoke a feminine voice from behind them. "And I would appreciate a bit of warning when you're going to just take off like that." They turned to see a young teen girl approaching wearing gothic dark colors and an unusual pink hair style done up in the shape of a horse shoe.

"But I did warn you remember? I said I saw someone just before I took off."

She crossed her arms in a sigh. "More like **as** you took off. I only got the first part of that."

Kid Flash instantly took a spot beside her. "You know me, Jinx, always quick on my feet." Jinx sighed and then shifted her gaze to Raven. It was a slightly sharpened gaze due to the fact she saw Kid Flash flirting with her just now, even though she has come to expect it from him; doesn't mean she likes it. She then noticed Raven was just floating in the air with her eyes closed doing nothing.

She gave her a curious expression until Raven suddenly opened her eyes. "There isn't anyone here."

Jinx rolled her eyes a bit. "Yeah, we figured that out already. This place is a real ghost town if I ever saw one."

Danny couldn't help give a minor laugh at her reference and the irony of the statement. "Ghost town….. as if…"

Raven caught on to the joke herself and followed suit after Danny though hers was much shorter lived as she caught the curious expressions of Jinx and Kid Flash. She had a slight blush as she cleared her throat. "Anyway, we should probably be looking for the town's people."

Jinx shook her head. "Where exactly do we start looking if they're not in the town?"

Danny took a good look at the wilderness in the not too far distance. "Well, I guess if they're not in town, they must be somewhere outside it. Where else do you hide a couple hundred people?"

Kid Flash shrugged in response. "I guess, but that's a lot of ground to cover."

"Then we better get started." Raven answered as she floated up. Both she and Danny took to the skies while Jinx and Kid Flash searched on the ground.

The sky was just starting to turn to twilight when Danny had a familiar cold sensation run up his spine. He stopped immediately to take in his surroundings. He was flying above a small lake only a few minutes out of town. He pulled out his communicator. "Hey, Raven…. I think I found something."

She seemed distracted for a second before responding. "What is it?"

Danny had to wait a sec for his ghost sense, which had gone off again, before responding. "I think I may have found a ghost…. Or more if this-" The condensation formed again. "-Is any indication." She gave a nod as the communicator turned off and Danny floated down to get a better view of the surroundings. His ghost sense continued to go off as he gave a wary glance in every direction. "Where are you…?"

"Well shucks, I ain't hiding." He turned to see what looked to be a sheriff come out from a few trees. "Where bout's you be comin from, kid?"

Danny landed and gave the man a critical gaze before answering. "Jump City. I was just looking for the missing town's people from Saquache."

The sheriff tipped his hat. "Well ain't that something? I'm out lookin fer'em too. Name's Andy Monroe and I'm the Sheriff of Saquache. I came out with a few deputies but seems they gone missin too." The man then began to approach the halfa with a lite smile on his face. "I reckon we could look together, it'll sure be faster that way."

Danny took another quick sweep of the area with his eyes. "Yeah it would be…" The man approached rather carelessly as Danny pulled out his communicator. Without a second though he raised a glowing fist to the man's face. "..If you weren't a ghost and probably behind it!" He shouted as he blasted the man against a tree. Another puff of condensation left the teen's mouth as he approached with his fist wrapped in his neon green energy. "Just how many of you are here?"

The man collected himself with a twisted sneer. "Now wouldn't you like to know, Phantom." He gave a cackle as he took off in the opposite direction. He didn't get far before a tree suddenly fell in his path and he found himself wrapped in a dark energy. "Damn! What in Pariah's name is this!" He was lifted into the air as Raven made her approach. Kid Flash came running through the trees with Jinx not far behind.

"Thanks for that." Danny then made his approach to the apparition. "Now, where are the people, spook?"

The man's eyes turned a bright yellow before he cackled again. "Like I would tell a miserable rat like you? You and those fuzz balls are traitors!"

Danny gave him a smirk. "Fuzz balls huh?" Danny took a look at his glowing green hand while the color shifted to an ice blue.

He phased his hand right through the man much to the surprise of both Jinx and Kid Flash. "Hey! What are you doing to him!?"

Danny then started to pull. "Believe me, he'll probably thank me when he wakes up." The couple seemed relatively confused before Danny started to pull out some creature from inside the man. "A Flizard, like I thought." It took a moment and a bit of effort on Danny's part before he finally pulled out the ghost. It was a horrid creature that had a skin texture like hot magma with black patches in a few places. Over all the creature had the form of a lizard wearing little more than a tan loincloth. It flailed around in Danny's grip before he dropped it. "So, what exactly are you doing here?"

It glared back at the halfa and then took a quick glance at his company. "My day just got really weird…" Kid Flash commented as he gave a side glance to the equally disturbed Jinx. Neither of them had much of a real clue on the situation.

Danny then pulled the thermos off of his back. "You've got 5 seconds to answer the question, lizard." The Flizard bared his yellow teeth at the ghost boy before Danny just decided to suck him into the thermos. "I figured you'd say that."

Raven then gently let down the unconscious man to the ground. "What was that?" She inquired turning back to her boyfriend.

Danny kneeled down by the sheriff. "It was a Flizard. I really don't know a lot about them but Frostbite told me they used to be at war with them and that I should never take one lightly."

She gave it some thought. "It makes sense I guess, fire and ice right?" Danny gave a nod as he turned back to the man who seemed to be muttering about monsters in his sleep.

Jinx was beginning to lose her patience. "So what exactly is going on here?" She had her arms crossed and was now tapping her foot in waiting.

"Yeah, Robin said I should keep an eye out for anything weird and that you'd explain when you got here."

"Right." Danny started as he stood up. "Well to start things off I guess we're looking for ghosts."

Kid Flash gave him a slack jawed expression of disbelief while Jinx just squinted her eyes at him as if mulling over whether to believe it or not. "You're kidding…. Right?"

Danny shook his head with a smirk. "Sorry, but no. We're trying to track down a thief who stole a bunch of things from Jump City, one of which being a special crystal with the power to summon ghosts." When neither of them seemed to say anything he turned to Raven. "Feel free to jump in any time before they write me off as a lunatic."

She sighed in response. "Okay, he's not kidding nor is he crazy. That's exactly what's going on. We believe that whoever is behind all this is around here somewhere, though Robin and the others are checking a couple of other locations."

Kid Flash and Jinx traded glances. "And is that supposed to make it sound less crazy?" Jinx responded dryly with her arms crossed.

"Yeah, I haven't believed in ghosts since I was a little kid." Kid Flash added in.

Danny crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "Geez, glad I'm not a fairy then." He then floated up and his legs formed a tail. "Sorry to burst your bubbles, but I'm a ghost and very real."

Kid Flash held his elbow with one hand while the other rubbed at his chin. "A ghost huh? Then why can't I see through you?" It only took Danny a moment to become intangible and it seemed his colors faded as he did so. The speedy teen's eyes widened as he reached out only to catch air. "Whoa…. Okay that's pretty cool."

"Could you not do that? It's rude."

Kid Flash jerked his hand away. "Oh sorry…. Couldn't help it."

Danny then came back to tangibility and reformed his legs. "So, are we good or are you still not convinced?"

Kid Flash shrugged. "Well, I guess so. I really don't know what to think about it."

He then turned a questioning gaze to Jinx. "What?"

"Well what do you think?"

She furrowed her brow and closed her eyes. "To be perfectly honest I don't really care. We need to find those people even if they were kidnapped by ghosts."

"Good point." Danny said while nodding. "I think we're close though. When I was above that ridge there my ghost sense was going crazy." Raven turned in the direction of the ridge and her face seemed confused. She floated up with Danny not far behind. "Raven?"

She raised her hand. "I sense something too….. panic…."

"Panic? Where?" Kid Flash then proceeded to crisscross around the area. Once he stopped he shrugged. "I got nothing."

Raven then faced the rocky cliff side towards the ridge. "That's because it's not out here…. It's in there." She stated as she pointed at the cliff.

Kid flash was at the base of it in seconds. "Well… just how do we get in there? A cave?"

Jinx turned to Danny. "Or he can just fly right in from here… right?"

Danny seemed hesitant before nodding. "I'll try, but I seriously doubt it'll be that easy." He phased through effortlessly and the three others waited in silence before a black blur passed in front of them almost too quick to see. "I hate being right…" Danny grumbled as he sat at the base of a newly downed tree.

"You alright?" Raven asked without an ounce of concern sounding in her voice as she lent him a hand.

"Yeah…. But I'm not trying that again." He stood up and started rubbing at one of his now sore shoulders. "Looks like we're going to have to look for an entrance the old fashioned way. I ran into some sort of force-field about 15 feet in."

Without a second's hesitation Kid Flash disappeared and the sound of quicksteps lightly echoed around them. Danny watched in mild curiosity until the teen ran back to them not 5 minutes later. "Found it."

Danny crossed his arms and gave an approving nod. "That's convenient."

"Usually." Jinx commented as she began following after Kid Flash who was moving in quick jolts so they could catch up. They eventually stopped outside a medium sized cave about 8 feet high partially covered by a twisted tree and several bushes.

"This was the closest cave that didn't have anything living in it. Anybody bring a flash light?" Asked Kid Flash as he gestured to the blackened cavern.

"I got this." Was Danny's response as he lit up one of his hands with his green ecto-energy.

"Now that's convenient." Said Jinx with an approving nod.

They followed Danny through the somewhat confining cavern until they reached a fork in their path. Danny gave a side glance towards Raven. "Got a favorite direction?"

She took a few glances back and forth before pointing towards the right. "This way." And once again they were on their way through only for a short distance before the foreign presence made itself known in the form of a metal door.

Kid Flash was the first at the door. "You think Smoky the Bear upgraded his security?"

"That would be better than what I think is behind that door." Danny commented as he took to analyzing the area around it with his energy lighting it up.

Raven pulled out her communicator. "I'll call Robin." She flipped it open and had the boy wonder on the screen before the minute was up.

"Raven? What's your status?"

"We found something and the town nearby is deserted. We think the thief may have something to do with it."

Robin rubbed his chin a moment. "Alright, we'll meet you guys there, just don't doing anything until we arrive. We have no idea what he could be planning."

Raven gave a nod before closing the communicator and then looked up to others. "Looks like we're waiting."

Jinx stretched a bit and then took a seat on a large rock. "Well that's just great. Nothing says fun like waiting around in a cave."

Kid Flash disappeared and reappeared in seconds holding a rose out for Jinx. "At least there's good company." She had a slight blush on her face as she accepted the rose.

Danny gave a confirming nod as he wedged a newly lit stick of wood into a crack in the wall to light the area. "Didn't realize they were a couple?"

Danny turned back towards the telepath "Well, not at first, no."

"Far too busy being jealous, right?"

Danny crossed his arms and gave her a smirk. "Something wrong with that? He was all over you, of course it would get to me."

Raven covered a laugh with her right hand as she raised her brow at the halfa. "I never said that."

Danny's response was cut off by a minor shaking of the cavern. "Whoa!... What's going on?"

"Got me." Responded the speedy teen as he dodged a falling stalactite. The shaking lulled a bit before it picked back up again only harsher. Small rocks started falling down the walls as the four of them backed away.

"You think they know we're here?" Proposed Jinx as she raised her hands in defense.

The rumbling grew harsh again as a large crack formed in the wall several feet from the door. "Well, I think they would use the door."

Kid Flash shrugged. "Good point.." The ceiling began to cave in as the teens parried falling debris. Several sharp stalactites fell and were followed by several good sized boulders. "Who's up for getting out of the cave?" Kid Flash then knocked another one out of its path towards Jinx while she used her powers to make them crumble before they hit.

"I second the motion." Said Danny with a raised hand as he held Raven's shoulder to keep her intangible. Before they could make their run for it, however, the wall flew open along with several large chunks of wall. Kid Flash stood front and center to block its path but when the dust settled he was more confused than ever. Nothing had hit him, nor did it seem anything flew in their direction.

Now the dust was cleared and out of their way and both gaped in amazement at the large skeletal bull that stood in their path. "Whoa….." Danny became tangible and raised his brow. "Man… I forgot about you. Where have you been?"

The bull snorted as it shook its head. "Well, after you two so graciously ditched me, I had quite the time tracking you down. Finding you was no picnic let me tell you. Not to mention the fact that this cave gives me the willies!" He gave a lite shiver as he turned towards his partner with an annoyed expression. "Anyway, what's going on?"

"Let you know when we figure that out." The sound of moving rubble caught everyone's attention as a small boulder fell from the pile collected at the new breach. Kid Flash was quick to move away several of the pieces until an arm was visible through them.

With one more rock pulled out of place the whole mound crumbled and a young girl climbed out while breathing rather heavily. "Oh man!" She wiped some of the dirt off her face with her equally dirty gloves and pulled some of her blonde hair out of her face and behind her ear. "I thought I had buried us…."

Danny stepped forward to take a good look at the girl. She was young, a teenager, and was wearing worn and lightly tattered clothes. "Hello?" She instantly raised her gaze to the halfa. Not a second later did he hear a low gasp from behind him. He turned to Raven, wide eyed and confused.

When he turned back to the girl she wore a similar expression. "Raven?"

The sorceress didn't respond, but sputtered out a name of her own. "Terra?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you were paying attention, you'd have notice the little hints I added earlier in the story to hint Terra would be making an appearance. If you're still confused, the next chapter will make it clear.=^-^=


	23. Tactical Retreat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the run from whoever is capturing ghosts, Danny gets separated from the group. Scott takes over getting them home and points out a new lead for their new problem.

"Terra?" A confused Raven sputtered aloud. Even as she said it she couldn't believe her eyes. The Terra who turned to stone after quelling a volcano was standing right in front of her. Her gaze was broken by Terra stumbling forward after having someone run into her.

"Omf!" The raven haired girl rubbed her nose as she looked at the blonde in front of her. "Terra? Why'd you just stop!? We don't have time for this!"

"Danielle?" Danny questioned as he raised a glowing hand to get a better view. His guess was right as his cousin turned to see him and was now wearing a confused expression of her own.

"Danny? What are you doing here?" She then shook her head. "Wait, we don't have time for this!" She grabbed Terra's arm and pulled towards the exit of the cave. "We need to get out of here quick!"

Danny reached out a hand to stop her. "Just hold up a sec…. what are you doing here? Why are you in a hurry….." It was then that the current situation dawned on him. "…. Wait….. you were just….."

"He's after us!" Terra snapped out of her daze at this point and was following Dani out towards the surface.

"Okay… confused?" Kid Flash turned to Jinx who only shrugged in return.

"Let's just go. Even if they didn't know before, I'm guessing whoever we were looking for has definitely noticed the large gaping hole." Jinx then took off and Kid Flash bolted as well. Scott was just about to leave behind them when he noticed Raven hadn't moved. She still wore the confused expression as she turned back towards the hole in the rock.

He turned to see Danny following the others and so with a sigh he took it upon himself to get her. "Come on now. We can have story time later!" He morphed into a horse and scooped her up, quickly galloping off after the others.

* * *

"Alright now, Danielle, I need an explanation." Once outside the cavern Danny was quick to turn to his cousin. Out in the light of the setting sun he could easily see her clothes were dirty and even more tattered than the blonde's.

She leaned her hands on her knees as she bent over trying to catch her breath. "We…. Really don't…. have time for this, Danny." She wiped a bit of sweat off her brow as she turned to Terra. "We should probably wrap up the tent before that guy figures out where we went."

Terra nodded in response. "Yeah, that's a good idea."

"Hold on." Raven placed a hand on her shoulder. "We still need some information."

She pulled her shoulder away. "We need to get away from here first. You can ask all your questions once we're as far away from here as we can get."

Kid Flash moved into their path before they knew it. "Alright then, where is your tent?"

Dani traded a glance with Terra and pointed slightly to her right. "It's a ways that way. We set it up by a creek." Before she could even register the end of that sentence he was gone much like his name would suggest. "Whoa…."

"You could say that again." Terra reiterated from beside her.

A couple minutes later Kid Flash returned with two fully stocked back packs and a tent, stuffed in a duffel bag, sitting under his arm. "I believe this is everything ladies."

Both Dani and Terra took hold of their respective bags and proceeded to check them. "He's good."

"Alright, Danielle, let's get moving befor-" Karma isn't one of Danny's favorite things especially when it seems to have it out for him. Both halfas gasped as puffs of cold air came out of their mouths.

"And just where do you think you're going? My master would not be pleased to see his guests leave so soon." Another Flizard floated down in front of them only this one was bigger, meaner, and had a vertical scar going down the right side of his face. "It's unfortunate my brother could do so little to keep you away….. I won't have that problem." He lit up his fist with a crimson glow and had a cruel glint in his eye as he fired it at the two girls. Terra's hands glowed yellow as she pulled up a chunk of earth to guard them from the attack though it melted completely from the searing heat. "Sorry, but that's not going to stop me."

"What about this!?" Danny flew up to him with his hands glowing blue. He shot out an ice beam from both palms straight at the creature's chest.

"Arg! Damn that cold!" He held his chest as he glared at the halfa. "Phantom….. I should have known." He turned his gaze towards the young girl who favored the halfa. "It would only make sense after all, wouldn't it?" As he stood, the ground beneath him became unstable and he started to fall through. Pink shock waves popped up all around him. "More sorcery!?"

"Why not!" Raven answered as she wrapped him in a black cloak of energy.

His eyes lit up in a red rage as a shock wave of heat rippled from every point on his body. "Back off!" He then let out an angry roar causing several of the teens to cover their ears.

"Just cause you're losing doesn't mean you should cry about it." Kid Flash cut him off by making quick circles around him resulting in a small tornado. That didn't seem to stop the effect though as several of the eerie specters the Titans had come to know burst from the ground intangibly. The swarm appeared to number over a hundred and the teens found themselves terribly out numbered.

"Anyone else thinking about retreating?" Quipped Danny as he blasted at several of the creatures only to see them quickly replaced.

"I'd have to agree. We should meet up with Robin and the others." Raven said as she took down a few of her own.

Dani lit up her hands with a weakened ecto-energy and fired a few shots. "But where do we go? There isn't much around here you know."

Danny pulled the Infi-map from his waist and drew a circle in the air. "Back to the tower. We'll have the others meet us there." Just as he finished the motion the swirling green vortex came into existence which caught the Flizard's attention immediately. He sent out a blast wave of heat energy to knock Kid Flash off course and flew up towards the halfa.

"You are going nowhere, Phantom!" He grabbed the ghost kid and the two of them went into a grappling match in mid-air.

Danny took any moment he had to get his friend's attention. "Get through the portal now! It won't stay open for more than a few minutes!"

Dani was the first to heed his warning as she tried to activate her ghost half only to fail and crouch to the ground. "Dani!"

Terra turned to her. "You have to be careful. That guy didn't go easy on you."

Dani nodded as she tried to catch her breath again. "Yeah, but we have to get up there, Terra."

Terra gave her a nod and lit up her hands in a yellow glow. "Alright, one earth elevator coming up." Before Dani knew it they were floating up on a chunk of earth via geokinesis. Raven followed suit as she made a platform for Jinx who was helping Kid Flash out of the crater he'd created when he was forced back. Danny blasted the Flizard back with an ice ray, but the creature just kept coming at him with an unfounded rage.

"Danny!" Raven called out as she was about to enter through herself, but Danny was far too enthralled in his match with the Flizard. The others had all gone through and Raven was still waiting when the portal began to shrink.

"What are you waiting for!? Go, Raven!"

She shook her head. "Not until you come!" She had a stubborn expression so Danny knew there would be no convincing her to go on her own. There was only a little more time left and so he did the only thing he could do and raised his hand to blast her in.

Just before he shot off, Raven was taken from behind by a skeletal pterodactyl. "I've got her, Phantom, you just make sure to come back!"

Danny gave a nod. "Thanks, Scott, I owe you one." Raven was pulled in against her will by the specter and was through before she knew it.

The vortex disappeared seconds later much to the enjoyment of the Flizard. "Looks like you're on your own now."

Danny gave him a smirk in return. "Like I need any help to beat you? Those wispy ghosts won't serve as good back up at all." The specter cackled at the boy as he floated away.

"Now who said that they were my back up?" Without any more warning Danny found himself surrounded by a red cloud and he could feel pain shooting from every cell in his body.

"Yes, Phantom, I do hope you've got more than this up your sleeve. My servants must be useful." The familiar voice echoed in his mind as he slowly felt himself slip out of consciousness.

* * *

She stared out into the green void as if truly expecting something. The images of the last few minutes played through her mind as she stared off longingly with a slight pinch of anger in her expression. "Hurry up, girl, we have to get moving. As soon as another ghost comes by we'll have our work cut out for us." Shouted Scott from behind her.

She turned to him with an angry expression. "We can't just leave him behind!"

"Well, we can't stay here!" Raven was stopped from another shout by Dani.

"Relax, Raven….. he'll be fine." She gave her the best reassuring smile she could muster but it did little to help.

Scott let out an exasperated sigh. "Look, he's got the map right? Chances are he'll beat us back. Even if he were to make another portal it could be anywhere." After a few moments Raven finally gave signs of surrender. As much as she hated it, he was probably right….. at least she hoped he was.

"Where the heck are we anyway?" Kid Flash was looking over the edge of the small floating land Terra had helped them get to.

Dani let out a presenting hand. "Welcome to the Ghost Zone, home of over a bazillion ghosts." The three new comers all went wide eyed.

"Whoa….. I thought you were exaggerating when you said it was endless."

"Okay so we're stuck in some creepy ghost world…. Great." Jinx rolled her eyes.

"We're not stuck." Raven stated as she turned towards Scott. "We have a way out, we just need to find a way to get all of us there."

Scott took the hint and started pondering what form he could take that could carry everyone. "Well….. what kind of skeleton could possibly be big enough? It's not like I could be a simple horse."

Dani raised her hand. "Well, you need something long so how about a snake?"

Scott rolled his eyes at the ridiculous notion. "Somehow I doubt a snake would be big…. Wait a minute." And then he began to jumble up his pile of bones much to the amazement of the other teen minus Raven of course. They formed a snake just as Dani had suggested but a much larger one that had horns on its skull. "Well if you want a snake, how about the king of all snakes? I do make a mean Basilisk"

Dani cocked her head to the side. "What's a Basilisk?"

Bones raised a brow. "Really? I thought those Harry Potter movies were every kid's favorite these days."

Terra crossed her arms. "Well, I haven't seen them….. why do you know that?"

Bones gave her a dry expression as he answered. "Being connected to a 10 year old for a few decades will do that to you…"

A small silence followed, which was broken by the speedster. "Shotgun!" Kid Flash shouted as he ran up the bones to sit just behind the head.

He lowered himself so that the others could climb on as well. "Hurry up now. I really don't want another ghost to see this." Terra was the last to climb on just behind Dani and then the skeletal snake took off.

"Do you know where you're going?" Raven turned to Scott.

"Well, I do have an idea. If I'm right, we should be near the Acropolis which means it should take around an hour or so to get to Danny's portal." Scott started feeling like a tour guide only a few minutes in as he ended up explaining about several different locations they passed along the way.

"So ghosts just live in the floating doors?"

"Yes, they lead to different realms. They're like pocket dimensions." It wasn't too long before they passed over the Acropolis like Scott had said.

"Amazing…. It's like we're in ancient Greece." Jinx commented as she looked over the ancient structures.

"This realm is ruled by Pandora. I wouldn't recommend getting on her bad side or she'll throw you in with the Minotaur." The four teens cringed at the thought.

"So are you feeling better?" Terra whispered over the halfa's shoulder.

Dani gave a nod in response. "Yeah, I can feel my energy coming back now. Whatever he did to me must've only been temporary or something."

Terra let out a sigh of relief. "Good. That was a close call though, who knows what would have happened if you hadn't caught him by surprise like that."

Dani gave a laugh as she thought about the kick to the jaw she had given the man. "Yeah, though your tunnel idea was what saved us." Dani turned a bit and held up her fist. Terra responded in kind and exchanged the gesture of victory.

A whinny broke through the air and Bones gave a jerk. "Good heavens!" Shouted Bones as he saw the approach of the not so friendly creatures. A small group of unicorns were charging towards them though not the conventional type. They had flaming manes and bared their curved fangs at the youths in their path. "Brace yourselves humans! We're going to be doing some evasive maneuvers!" He then took a very drastic turn down while the teenagers struggled to keep their grips.

Raven flew after them. "What are those things?"

Bones rolled his eyes. "Come now, haven't you ever seen a unicorn before?"

Jinx gave him a confused expression. "Unicorns aren't supposed to look like that. They're supposed to be majestic and peaceful, not chase us with intent to kill!"

Scott curved back up in an attempt to shake the pursuers as he responded. "That's just what they want you to think. They are actually one of the most aggressive creatures in the ghost zone for their size." He then jerked a bit as he felt a flame from one of the creatures hit him. They had begun shooting fire balls from their mouths at the bony specter. "Not to mention fast!" His evasive maneuvers quickly became more erratic as he did whatever he could to break away.

Raven turned and started to force them back with her dark energy. "Go away!" She was able to stop the first two but the ones behind simply flew over and continued their chase. She quickly motioned her hand and caught another one though that still left 4 more left.

"Don't worry, Raven, I got this!" Shouted Dani as she punched one fist into her hand. She allowed a white ring to envelop her and she took off towards the incoming specters. She clapped her hands together and formed a ball of ecto-energy which she quickly fired at the creatures. The leader of the four was blasted back and off balance as it fell down and out of the air. The other three stopped their charge and gave a roar most unbecoming of any sort of horse. Their horns then started to glow and they shot out an energy wave at the young halfa. "Whoa!" She was obviously taken by surprise but Raven was able to cover the both of them with her energy before it hit.

"Let me give it a try." Suggested Jinx as her eyes glowed pink and waves of a matching color shot out from her palm. One after another the unicorns slammed into each other.

Bones gave a chuckle as he watched the creatures begin to knock into each other. "Oh, good show! I like that." He then turned around and began towards home again. "Let's get moving before they can regroup."

"Good idea." Concurred Raven as she took her position back flying beside him. Jinx let out a slight sigh as she took back her grip on Scott's bony spine causing Kid Flash to laugh a bit.

* * *

Back at the tower, Raven was the first one through the portal. She made a quick sweep around the room only to find it empty. Kid Flash and Jinx came in behind her. "Who keeps an interdimensional portal in their closet?"

"Yeah but if you think about it, it's kind of a clever place to hide one." Stated Kid Flash as he began looking about the room in his standard fashion.

Raven then made her way out of the room and down towards the living room in hopes that Danny was there. Her hopes were quickly dashed when she saw it inexplicably empty. She floated down and levitated just to the right of the sofa and slowly lowered her head in disappointment. It annoyed her that she felt this way. How could just being separated like this make her feel so lost? She's been separated from her friends before right? She kept her cool for the most part and didn't let it get her down for long. Why is this so different? She let out a sigh as she looked up. She knew why, it was pointless to ask a question she knew the answer too. She was wrestled from her thoughts with the sudden opening of a door and she jerked her head to the left. "Danny?"

She was disappointed once again when she found the forms of Beast Boy and Cyborg in her path. "Hey, Raven… what's up?" Asked her cybernetic friend who could easily tell something was amiss.

Beast Boy took a look around the room. "Hey…. Where's Danny?"

Raven turned her gaze towards the floor and responded. "He's not here…."

A streak of yellow flew through the room and landed right beside Beast Boy. "Hey, Beast Boy."

The changeling stumbled back a bit as he was taken by surprise. "Whoa!... Hey, Kid Flash."

Cyborg walked down to the pensive Raven as she pulled herself together. She turned back towards him with a neutral expression she was so very famous for. "We got separated when we were trying to get away."

"Yeah, should have seen the nasty creep." Kid Flash added in. "The guy looked like he was made of volcanic rock. What was he called again….?"

"He was called a Flizard." Bones answered as he floated down through the ceiling. He was now in his normal hawk form as he perched himself on the couch. "They're not a tribe you want to cross in the Ghost Zone, but they seldom ever leave their territory. I could only imagine the kind of human who could keep one under his control."

Cyborg crossed his arms. "What happened anyway? I thought Robin told you guys to stay put until we came to back you up."

"We were, we just…." Raven's eyes then widened when she realized she had forgotten all about Terra.

"These two girls broke through a wall and brought the lizard man with them."

Cyborg gave him a confused expression. "Two girls? Just what were they doing picking a fight with the creepy thief?" Kid Flash just shrugged while Raven answered. "We haven't asked yet but they should be coming…"

As if on cue, the girls in question strolled through the door to the living room. "Cujo's a really sweet dog." Commented the blonde as she rubbed at the side of her face. "Just maybe too affectionate."

The now raven haired girl again, laughed. "He's always like that. You should see him play fetch. Danny has to use a whole tree."

The green teen froze the minute he heard the hauntingly familiar voice and his gaze rushed to meet its source. She had yet to turn his way and he had yet to make even a sound. His thoughts couldn't stop whizzing through his head. Terra? Is that really you? It can't be! You…. You turned to stone! "Terra…..?" He finally squeaked out, still quite frozen in place. She turned a shy gaze towards him and instantly met eyes with the ground. Beast Boy made a step forward. "Terra? Is that really you?"

When her friend refused to respond Dani decided to give her a literal push. "Come on!"

Terra was more than a bit surprised and fell forward, catching herself only barely. After flashing her friend a not too happy expression she turned back to Beast Boy. "Yeah….. It's me, Beast Boy."

The teen couldn't believe his eyes….. "I don't understand…."

Terra brushed a bit of her hair from her eyes but she couldn't keep them on BB. "I'm sorry I didn't come back sooner. You guys were only trying to help."

Beast Boy's initial surprise was beginning to wear off as he gave her a soft smile. "It's okay…. You did good in the end."

Cyborg gave a nod to that obviously thinking about how she had stopped the volcano from wiping out the city. "Anyway, what were you two doing there? You can't have gone looking for him right?"

Dani began to rub at the back of her neck in a nervous motion as Terra turned back to her. "Well actually….."

"We kinda were?"

Terra nodded and turned back to Cyborg. "We were camping just outside the nearby town. When we went into town to check it out we saw it was completely deserted."

"That's when I sensed a ghost. We followed it and found ourselves in some creepy underground lair. There had to be almost a hundred ghosts trapped in there."

"Dude!" Beast Boy remarked.

"What's he gonna do with all of them?" Cyborg rubbed his chin in thought.

Dani couldn't help but grab her arms and shudder as she thought of what she saw. "He was destroying them."

Terra put a comforting hand on the halfa's shoulder. "I'm not sure if he is going to do that to all of them, but we saw him tear one apart." She lifted her other hand in a gesture. "He had this claw thing on his arm. I'm not sure how but it's like he could tear them apart with it or something."

Dani gave a nod. "There was another ghost there who broke out of the holding cell. He tried to help us get out but when the guy caught him all it took was one swipe and the kid practically evaporated." Dani turned away. "He may have been a total brat with the way he went about it, pointing that little hook of his like a sword, but nobody deserves that."

Bone's eyes widened at that. Could it be who I think it is? Youngblood? Then he was… Bones turned his head down in a sad motion without ever uttering a word. Despite how annoying the boy could be he was still his assistant for quite some time. The only hope he clung to now was that the victim was, perchance, someone else. He shook the depressing thought from his head. How could he just assume like that? Youngblood may be foolish, but he's not as stupid as he would seem. Squirming out of tight situations is something he's good at. With a curt nod he banished the thought from his mind and flew up towards the group. "While I don't know much about this guy you're all referring to, I could only imagine he is either a Ghost hunter or a Necromancer. It takes a great deal of knowledge to able to destroy a ghost so effortlessly and either should know enough. Considering the fact that he has ghosts for allies, I would go with the latter."

Raven narrowed her eyes for a serious tone. "A necromancer?"

"I hope you're not surprised, after all, both you and Phantom were reading several books about them just the other day." He then flew over the group and through the wall.

"A necromancer…. That's not creepy." Jinx simply rolled her eyes at the comment. She had more than come to terms with how crazy her day had gotten. Another swish of the doors was heard which caused Raven to peek up. She was disappointed yet again when Robin and Starfire were who she saw.

Robin gave Cyborg and Beast Boy a confused look. "How did you get back before us?"

Cyborg pointed an accusatory finger at BB. "Somebody accidentally over loaded the scanner and we had to come back. I got that call from you not long after we left again."

Starfire was the first of the two to notice Terra and flew up in joy. "Friend Terra!" She was quick to get the girl in a hug that looked to be crushing her spine.

"S-starfire….. can't… breath…."

"It is wonderful to see you are alright. I was most worried you would never be the normal again!"

Robin allowed his surprise to recede and was able to persuade Starfire to let her go before she suffocated. He then turned a serious gaze to the girl. "As much as it is nice to see you, I have to say I'm pretty curious…. How did you get free?" Of course suspicion was not completely absent from his face as was standard with the boy wonder, but like the other Titans, he too had completely forgiven Terra after her sacrifice.

Terra took a moment to nurse at her sore ribs before turning to Robin in confusion. "Free? From what?"

"You know, from being a stone statue. After you stopped that volcano you somehow ended up stone."

Confusion marred the girl's face even more as she looked at the knowing expressions on each of the other Titans. "I was never….. stone. What are you talking about?"

Though Beast Boy wore a smile as he started, his expression also seemed a bit worried. "Come on, Terra. After you came back before and that whole thing with Slade and then the final battle underground which woke up a volcano and then you using your powers to stop it."

Robin saw the look of disbelief on the girl's face and posed the question stirring in his mind. "You don't remember… do you?"

She slowly shook her head. "I… I didn't come back until now. The last time I saw any of you was just before I left. It was that day Slade attacked the mine."

The other Titan's eyes all widened at the insinuation. "But Terra… that was almost 15 months ago."

Terra seemed distraught by the new information so Dani stepped in. "I think that's enough for now." She pulled Terra over to the couch so she could gather her thoughts. "Anyway, we have more pressing matters right?"

Robin nodded and then finally noticed the missing person. "Where's Danny?"

"Currently MIA, but I can at least assure you that he is fine." Squawked Scott as he flew into the room with an old tome in his talons. He flew over the coffee table and plopped the book down.

Raven glared at him. "Where did you get that?"

Bones simply ignored the question and proceeded to peck at the book. "I believe this one can be of some assistance with our necromancer problem."

"Is that what we're dealing with?" Robin asked while looking to Cyborg.

The teen gave a nod. "Yeah, we think so. Bones here seems to know the most about it." The bony specter had now broken down to kicking the book.

"What are you doing? Just open it yourself." Yelled an agitated Raven. She was never one for the mistreatment of books.

"I would hope you would have noticed from before that these pages are blank." He explained as he peaked the cover open to show them. "That is because he's asleep."

All the teens looked down at both the book and the bird in utter confusion. "He's asleep…." Jinx raised a finger to her chin.

"He?" Questioned Beast Boy as he poked the book slightly.

"Yes, he." He turned the book so the spine was facing the teens. "Do you see this mark here?" He gestured to the swirl that seemed to look like a curled up quill. "This is the emblem of a chronicler. There are several of them and they keep stories, legends even history within their seemingly infinite pages. Unfortunately, while they are asleep, one cannot access the information and rarely without their permission."

"So we only need to wake him up?" Raven asked as she took a spot just in front on the book. She lifted the book and recited her magic words. The dark energy pulled the book open and the pages ruffled in a flurry. She let go of her hold and the open book plopped right back down on the table.

The group watched in silence for a moment before a misty cloud seemed to rise from its pages. It formed a green creature which resembled a man and bull. It had no legs but instead, a wispy tail which spawned from the book. Its form rose several feet from the tome and then opened its glowing red eyes. It snorted over its black nose ring and turned its gaze towards Raven. "Mortal, what do you want of me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that last episode of TT never happened in my timeline. Also, if you still didn't pick up on the connection between Dani and Terra She mentioned having a camping friend who had hung out with the Titans before. That was Terra. I planned very far ahead for her since I ship her with BB.=^-^=


	24. Deal with a Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven makes a deal with a ghost. Later, Beast Boy and Terra have a short talk.

All the teens looked up at the large specter with none of them all that sure of what to do. The bull specter snorted in fury and crossed its arms as its gaze sharpened on the sorceress. "Speak up now! I have no patience for your foolishness!"

Bones tapped his foot to get Raven's attention and then he gestured up to the creature. "Well?"

She gestured to herself and Bones responded with a nod. The blue clad titan got the message and cleared her throat. "Do you know anything about necromancers?"

The specter responded with a booming tone. "Of course! Do not underestimate the knowledge of those who watch and write!"

"Then you can give us that information?" Robin suggested, from the girl's right.

The ghost suddenly turned his gaze to the boy wonder and didn't look too happy at all. "Mortal! Hold your tongue! I have no obligation for your questions nor do I patience!"

Scott floated up to the, genuinely surprised and slightly agitated teen, and whispered in his ear. "A chronicler only answers to the one who wakes it up. Raven has to ask." Robin just gave a nod and turned back to Raven expectantly.

The specter seemed to now be eyeing her in curiosity. "Can you tell us what you know about necromancers?"

The bull snorted again. "Of course, but I shall not."

"Dude! Why not!?" Beast Boy whined, getting an angry look from the ghost before he shrank back.

"I do not simply go about telling my stories! If you want someone to tell you a story, go and find Anansi." He then looked back to the sorceress. "But tell me, girl, you are no average mortal are you? I smell something else… You smell of Scath." Raven's eyes widened at his brilliant deduction. "Am I correct? Interesting, you must share with me why this is."

He took a few more inquisitive glances over her before she answered. "That's none of your business."

The ghost seemed a bit surprised at her answer. "Interesting….. most mortals are quick to give away information. They foolishly believe I will reciprocate the gesture." He gave her a smirk. "You're quite perceptive."

"And you seem like quite the schemer." Jinx commented as she leaned over the couch.

The ghost's long ears, which normally laid slack down either side of his face, raised in attention as he turned to the girl. "Do you think so, mortal?" He responded with a grin. Both Jinx and Raven, being front and center to the twisted smile, became wary. He let out a soft chuckle as he raised one hand. "You may be right." Was all he said before a snap of his fingers caused Jinx to disappear. Kid Flash was instantly outraged by the act, but the minute he made a move, Minos brought his hand towards the speedster. Another snap of his fingers and he was gone as well only proving to further agitate the teens in the room. He then held his hand out in a snapping motion before the rest of the Titans and they all froze immediately. "Now now humans, you're smarter than that." He said with a smirk. "Try my patience again and I'll teleport you all."

"So you teleported them? Where?" Raven demanded while still seeming as composed as ever. The venom in her voice, however, proved her distaste for what had just happened.

Minos turned his head to face her with the smirk still there. "Yes, they've been relocated."

"Where?" She snapped.

"Not sure…" He started with a shrug. "Where ever they were before at some point. Could be almost anywhere they've been before."

Robin quickly made a move for his communicator but he was hailed before he could try anything. "Robin?"

"Kid Flash? Where are you?"

The teen shrugged before taking a look around. "I'd have to say we're back in that ghost town."

"Perfect." Jinx commented from the background. "When I see that-"

KF turned to her in an attempt calm her agitated state. "Come on…." He pat her shoulder before turning to Robin. "I'm thinking this could be a good thing. We need to see if we can't find the townsfolk anyway. We may even find Danny if those guys are still around."

Robin gave an approving nod. "Alright then, keep me posted."

"Sure thing." He then flickered off after a mock salute.

"See, no harm done. They were just being pests." Minos said in a simulated apologetic tone. He then tapped his fingers together before turning back to the hooded titan. "Now where were we before I was so rudely interrupted?"

"I'm going to guess you wanted to make a contract with her?" Bones deduced as he floated over her head. He landed lightly on her hood with a knowing expression. "Of course why else would you be so interested?"

Minos didn't seem happy at all to see the creature before him and wore disgust on his face. "Parasite! Out of my way!"

Bones simply rolled his eyes. "I think not. It would severely go against the wishes of my grantor." He then held out one of his wings. "Tell you what though, I'll be happy to let you try as long as I am able to oversee the deal."

Minos glared at the specter with contempt before crossing his arms and giving a nod. "Acceptable." He then lowered his gaze slightly towards Raven who appeared to be glaring at him. "Now, girl, what do you say to a little trade?"

Raven didn't break her gaze as she responded. "And what kind of deal is this?"

Minos responded with a smile as he snapped his fingers again. The room appeared to rippled in effect and all the others froze in place. Raven took surprised glances at her teammates. "It's alright, girl, I have simply placed us in a pocket dimension over this one. Terms and deals I make are a private matter and are not to be disclosed to others. He moved his hand over the book below. "Now, what I propose is a contract. All information traded with me is done through a contract, which is broken with mutual agreement or death of the contractor." He then raised his hand up and words began to float up from the page.

Raven scrutinized the text in vain trying to comprehend it. "What language is this….. It looks…. Like Cuneiform but not."

"Well you're right, it's not. This is only found in the ghost zone." Bones pointed out as he moved to her shoulder. "It's better known as a contractor's script."

She then looked up towards Minos. "What does it say?" She asked in a stern tone.

"I am under no obligation to explain its contents to you, I merely tell you the arrangement. A mutual exchange of information." Raven found her eyes drifting to the book on the table with a signature line upon it's page.

After a moment she made a motion to talk but was cut off by Bones clearing his throat. "No, this here won't do at all." He exclaimed in a rather unhappy fashion. "This information must be shared amongst the other Titans, otherwise what would be the point?"

Raven turned to him with a brow raised. "You can read it?"

"Why of course, I myself make contracts you know. I have one with Phantom remember?" He then rubbed his chin a bit. "Though he didn't require a complex agreement. Anyway, that is why I'm here, so you won't be tricked by him." Raven seemed genuinely surprised by the ghost's actions. Most of the time, he was rather selfish and would only do things when Danny told him, and of course he was never really happy to do them. Today though….. he was taking initiative. It was strange that he would suddenly change his mind like this and help by his own will. Bones then scanned down to another part of the contract and got angry again. "This as well! You cannot be serious!"

Minos snorted as he glared at the bird. "That section is non-negotiable! It is my insurance that I get the information that I need."

Raven watched the two of them bicker back and forth for a moment before inserting herself into it. "Just what is it?"

Bones had his wings crossed as he turned to her. "It gives him the right to enter your mind and take information should you not be forth coming in the contract. I certainly don't know what you've experienced but having a chronicler tear through your mind isn't a pleasant experience."

The explanation did unease her a bit but she didn't show it too much. She merely thought it over for a moment before turning to Minos. "It's alright."

Bones seemed confused. "Are you sure!? I realize you relish privacy."

Raven gave a nod. "Yes, but this is more important."

Scott let out a sigh before turning to Minos. "Alright, but my previous revision stands. This information needs to be shared."

The ghost crossed his arms. "Acceptable, but only to the other Titans. Anyone else requires expressed permission and suitable circumstances." He then lowered his head to hers. "Is that clear?"

Raven didn't flinch one bit at the green tinged bull head that was only inches from her face. "Fine."

"Alright then, I don't see anything else in here that needs arguing." Bones stated with relative confidence. "It is up to you, Raven."

"Then I agree." She then moved her hand over to the book.

"Just place a finger on the page, girl." She did so and immediately pulled it back after receiving a slight prick on contact. The single drop of blood on the page soon began to move and formed out the name Raven in nice cursive script. Minos chuckled a bit at her reaction. "Blood is the currency of the soul is it not? Regardless, the contract is made. When you are in direct contact with me it will instigate a telepathic link. That is how we shall trade information in most cases. You will be the one to explain any of it to the others." He then snapped his fingers again and caused a ripple in the room.

"What the heck was that!?" Demanded an enraged halfa, much to the surprise of all others in the room.

Terra even seemed bewildered by the outburst as she asked what was wrong. "What's up, Dani?"

She turned to her friend in surprise. "You're telling me you didn't feel that? He just did something!"

"What did he do?" Inquired a very suspicious Robin as he approached the table.

Dani took a moment before responding. "I….. I don't know, but he did something."

Minos turned to her in agitation. "You mortals are really starting to wear on my patience with your outbursts."

Dani crossed her arms in agitation. "Likewise, spooky."

Now Minos looked more than insulted by the childish jab. "You would do well to hold your tongue human, while you are still able." It seemed whatever Dani felt now had more than made her forget about Kid Flash and Jinx since she was less timid about arguing. Terra of course, was the first to notice and so the first to try and stop her from snapping at him. "You wanna-"

Terra grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. "Come on, Dani…. Calm down before he does something again."

Dani crossed her arms and turned away from him. "Fine, he's still a sneak though." Terra gave a sigh of relief as Dani backed off.

Minos gave one last glare to the girl before turning back towards Raven. "Now that that little annoyance is finished, I recommend looking through the 1500's if you want information on Necromancers. There's one in particular that may catch your eye." And with that the ghost sublimated and fell back into the book's pages, letting out one last disdainful grunt as he did so. Raven quickly moved to pull the book towards herself.

"What happened Raven? Wasn't that guy just telling us to bug off a minute ago?" Beast Boy questioned with confusion mirrored by the others.

"You two were talking about some kind of deal right?" Recalled Robin in a serious tone. "So it was for the information?"

Raven nodded. "I now have access to anything he knows about anything I ask."

"It took a bit of insistence but I do believe we have a promising deal hmm? I've known ghosts to ask for much more than simple information." Bones then floated down to the table. "Now let's hear it."

"I agree. We need to know what this guy's plan is as soon as possible." Robin added in.

Raven nodded in compliance as she touched the pages of the book. It immediately started to flip pages until it settled on the correct spot. When Raven looked over the text, she immediately recognized it. She shouldn't be able to read the language before her, she didn't even know what it was called, but for some reason, she understood it. _"Don't be alarmed, girl. I am merely translating it in your mind."_

She heard the ghost's voice echo in her head and couldn't help feeling a bit uneasy, but was able to put it aside for the sake of their current goal. "I already know that Necromancy is one of the darkest arts you can practice. According to this, one of it's greatest practitioners was a man named Alphons Faust who once tried to create an army of ghosts to take over Europe."

"Ghost army? Now doesn't that sound familiar." Cyborg pointed out as he turned to Robin. "Looks like we may have some kind of undead army on our hands."

Robin gave a nod. "Yeah, but is the guy we're dealing with now, really doing that?" Robin asked as he turned to Raven. "We're going to need a bit more on how he was doing it."

Raven waved her hand over the text and a picture appeared. "It says he used this artifact called the Imperious Orb. Faust created it so that he could bend the will of ghosts."

Once Dani and Terra got a look at the picture they traded glances. "I don't know about that…." Dani began. "We didn't see anything like that when we saw the creepy guy ordering around the other ghosts."

Terra gave a nod. "Yeah, and he wouldn't be locking them up if he had it right?"

"Alright so he doesn't have command of his army…. Then what is he using to control the ghosts he does get to listen to him?"

Robin rubbed his chin in thought over Cyborg's question before turning to Terra. "You mentioned some kind of claw thing, right?"

The girl nodded as she turned to Raven. "Anything about that?"

It took a moment for her to respond but she nodded. "He had some sort of device that could tear out a ghost's core and turn them into a wraith."

Bones raised a brow. "So those things were wraiths? I had never seen one before."

Dani shuttered at the thought. "So that's what he was doing?" She asked as she held her arms. "And I thought ghosts could be evil."

"What exactly is a wraith?" The boy wonder inquired as he took a passing glance towards the distressed halfa.

Bones decided to answer that question himself and held his usual smug tone as he did so. "A wraith is like a shell or after image. They are not very common and usually occur when a ghost loses their core which in most cases is their anchor to existence; this can come from their obsession or reason for existing. They are not powerful, but coming across one can be extremely dangerous. They are hive minded and flock to each other in droves so if you see one, know there are many more in the area. They have also been known to devour the living in some cases when they've been driven into frenzy."

Beast Boy gulped. "I could have been eaten?"

Bones nodded. "Yes you could have been, of course they don't eat your body but your spirit. When a horde of wraiths is done with a victim the body is all that remains." He had a bit of an evil smirk as he looked over to the changeling.

Cyborg crossed his arms in understanding. "I get it. If this guy catches a bunch of ghosts then he can turn them into these wraiths and have an army…. But how does he control those wraiths?"

Raven closed the book and placed it in her lap. "A weak ghost like that can easily be manipulated with the right spell or talisman."

Robin nodded. "Considering he stole the crystal, chances are he could have stolen something like that too." He then stood up and headed over to the computer. "I'm going to see if I can't track down that record. If we can figure out what was stolen and from where, maybe we can figure out who this guy is before he makes his move."

Cyborg gave an approving nod. "Then I'm going to see if I can't help Kid Flash a bit. I bet I can get Danny's location from his communicator."

Robin then turned to Raven. "Keep going over that info, be sure to let us know if you find anything that could point us in the right direction.

Starfire watched Cyborg leave with a saddened expression. "I do hope that friend Danny is okay. It is most disheartening that we do not know where he is." She held her hands over her chest as she bowed her head.

"No worries, Starfire. If there's anything I know about my cousin, it's that he doesn't go down easy." Dani said as she tried to console the saddened Tamaraenian.

"Besides, he's perfectly fine." The two of them instantly turned to the bird in slight surprise. Bones merely gave them a confused expression. "What? I did tell you that we are connected right? If anything had happened to him, I would know. At the very least I would be able to tell if he had been turned into a wraith."

Starfire's mood was instantly lifted as she moved over towards Scott. "I thank you for your kind words, friend. I must apologize, I fear I thought you to be a most unpleasant creature before."

Bones wore a frown upon hearing that. "Did you now?" He almost spat. "Well I'm not trying to make you feel better, I'm simply stating what I know." He then turned away in a rather snobby fashion.

Dani couldn't help but laugh at the bird's horrible excuse. She then turned to see a rather exhausted Terra. "You okay?"

She shook her head. "No….. this is all just….."

Dani let out a sigh. "Yeah, pretty crazy day huh?"

The young geokinetic held her hand to her head. "Yeah."

Beast Boy then approached from behind the couch with a sympathetic look. "So you really don't remember anything?" He asked while not really expecting an answer.

"I'm sorry." Terra looked up to him with a small smile. "It's just a lot to take in….. I didn't think I'd missed so much…."

BB then looked outside at the blackened sky. "It's getting kinda late so maybe you should just rest?" He said almost like a question.

Terra didn't think twice about taking the advice as she laid back on the couch. "Sounds good to me."

Beast Boy watched in confusion for a moment before realizing she didn't know. "Wait… you don't have to stay on the couch. You have your own room, Terra."

Dani turned to her. "You have your own room?"

"I have my own room?" Terra echoed back.

Beast Boy gave a shy nod. "Yeah…. We gave you your own room when you came back and joined the team." He then pointed to the door. "I can show it to you….. if you want that is." Both girls instantly stood up, eager to see for themselves.

"You guys gave me my own room?" Terra re-questioned as she started to follow Beast Boy.

He rubbed the back of his neck as he replied. "Yeah, I mean you joined the team, Terra. It felt only right to give you a room of your own."

* * *

The minute he flipped the switch both girls were in a bit of awe, Terra especially. It was a rather simple set up but the muraled walls painted like a night desert background really added to it. Terra found herself standing at the window, which took up almost an entire wall, looking on to the lights of the city. She placed a gloved hand on the glass with a wide gaze. "This is….. my room?" She turned to Beast Boy in question.

"Yeah…" He blew off some dust on the dresser. "A bit dusty though….."

She took a few glance around the room. "It's nice…"

Dani could sense the awkward air in the room as she watched the two of them fidget about in place. "You two obviously have a lot to talk about so I'll just get out of here. I'll crash in Danny's room." And before either of them could say anything about it she dashed out of the room leaving the awkward pair alone.

Beast Boy started to rub his arm as he searched for something to say. Terra simply sighed as she turned to him. "What happened?" She asked with a distraught expression. "What happened when I came back before?" Beast Boy was quiet for a moment, unable to find the words to start. She took the silence as the answer and turned towards the city lights again. "I must have done something awful then….." She of course didn't remember what had happened but she had always had this feeling like she should never come back. Like she didn't deserve to come back.

Beast Boy's eyes widened in realization. "No, Terra, you…" He found himself clenching his fists.

"I thought so…"

Beast Boy then stepped forward. "Look, Terra… You did some bad stuff." He paused a moment before continuing. "Some really bad stuff I guess, but you did good too." Terra turned away with a sigh. "I mean it, Terra. Everyone makes mistakes, and that's what happened; you made mistakes. The important part is to try and fix them."

She shook her head. "I always had this feeling like I could never be forgiven.."

Beast Boy then grabbed her shoulder. "But we did forgive you…. All of us did. For what you did to fix what happened, you will always be a Titan."

She turned and saw the serious expression on his face before turning to face the ground. "But what did I do…?"

Beast Boy shook his head in agitation. "That's not important! That stuff already happened!" He now had a hold on both of her shoulders. "You're here now, Terra…. You don't have to leave, you don't have to feel guilty about anything."

She turned her gaze away. "I don't, Beast Boy… is it really okay to just… forget?" The changeling's ears fell at her expression. "I…. I don't really know how it happened but, over a year ago an old man found me wandering around in the desert. He said I was pretty close to dying of exposure when he found me. I was wearing these weird pieces of armor and I didn't have anything else on me. When I woke up in his house I didn't know what to do with myself. All I had was a time gap and this over whelming feeling that I was the worst person in the world."

Beast Boy couldn't really come up with anything to say to that as he let go of her shoulders. He gradually lifted his hand to the back of his head. "Ummm…. I know this might not mean much, but…. You're not the worst person in the world….." He then turned to the side a bit. "You have to be one of the coolest people on the planet." He then turned back to face her again. "And I know it doesn't make it right but….. getting lost doesn't make you a horrible person; not trying to find your way back does." The teen then tried to give his best unawkward smile as he turned to leave. "You should get some rest now, we….. we can talk some more tomorrow maybe?" Terra seemed to snap out of her thoughts as she turned to him and gave a soft nod with an equally soft smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, chapter finished. Hope you enjoyed. I got rid of KF and Jinx cause they weren't a big part of the story. (Just wanted to put some variety in and I like those two.) I also hope you enjoyed the end part. I wanted fluff, but also an explanation of how I brought Terra back. Maybe a Dr. Stone kind of solution only with amnesia? Whatever, that's it.=^-^=


	25. Prisoner of War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vlad makes a call saying Danny has stolen something from him, the implications of which, do not bode well for anyone.

The Titans put in their best efforts for days as they tried to, not only discern the true goal of their enemy, but find their missing comrade as well. Cyborg had been having no luck with the communicator, having the signal drop out somewhere in Wisconsin. Robin had just about as much luck trying to track down any other robberies or disturbances with a similar pattern to their mystery nemesis.

If anyone, however, was hit hard by the missing halfa it was Raven. She did her best not to show it but she was losing her resolve in keeping up her cold façade. She sat in her room trying with all she had to meditate but her thoughts kept straying to Danny and what could have possibly happened to him. She furrowed her brow as she let out a sigh of surrender and flopped onto her bed. "Danny…"

"You look rather tired considering its only mid-afternoon." Scott chided from a bookshelf in her room.

She glared back at the bird. "You have no room to talk."

It was true, anyone with sense could see Scott was indeed more tired by the day, and had even stopped changing his shape. He scoffed at her remark before turning back to the door. "If that's how you plan to be." He then flew right through the door and down the hall. "Let's see how the others are faring this morning." He soon found himself in the main room where Robin was hard at work still searching for clues and Dani was relaxing on the couch with Terra. He flew down to stand on the couch head, invisibly of course, but that didn't do him any good.

Dani shivered a moment before turning his way. "Cut it out, Scott." She grumbled with her arms crossed.

He popped into the visible spectrum with a sigh. "That ghost sense of yours makes it very hard to people watch."

"You shouldn't spy on people anyway." Terra reprimanded from his left. The ghost sighed again and turned his head to the door where fast paced steps could be heard.

Cyborg burst through the door only seconds later. "Yo, Robin! We got incoming."

The boy wonder turned to him with a serious expression. "What do you mean? The proximity alarm didn't pick up anything."

"No, I mean through the main frame. Someone is ramming their way through and fast!" Just as he ended the statement the screen at the head of the room flickered black.

A fuzzy image soon formed a sharp one as an all too familiar silhouette formed. His blood red eyes were slits of anger as he searched the room. "Where is he!?" The sudden presence set all Titans on edge while making one halfa more uneasy than anything. "Where is Daniel!? I know he has to be there somewhere!"

"And why would we tell you!?" Cyborg shouted at the man.

Vlad now bore his fangs at the metal teen. "You can either bring him here or I shall make you live to regret it!"

Robin, though angry at the villain like his friend, was a bit more curious than that. Why the sudden call? What had him so mad. "Why do you want to see him?" Robin asked in a demanding tone.

Vlad raised a brow at the question before cutting his eyes at the boy. "Surely you… unless you don't…." He then stopped and gave a chuckle. "So he really isn't there is he?" He let out a sigh. "Perfect."

"What's it to you anyway?" Terra questioned, in a typical 'out of the loop' way.

"Well, while I enjoy the idea of just letting you figure it out, it suits me much better to simply tell you. He stole something from me last night." He then turned his gaze from the girl and back to Robin. "And don't try to tell me he didn't. I know for a fact he's the only one who could have done it. He's also one of the few who knew I had the artifact in my possession."

"What kind of Artifact?" Questioned Raven as she walked from the door towards the center of the room. She held the Chronicler tome under one arm as she bore her gaze on the elder halfa.

Vlad raised a brow at the girl. "A key, a Skeleton Key to be exact." He then shifted his gaze over a bit at the little halfa who seemed to be trying to avoid speaking. "If you happen to see him, be a dear and have him call me. I don't want to have to track him down myself. I'm sure at least one of you knows just how unappealing that option is." He then ended the transmission with one last wicked smile successfully leaving a bad taste in several of their minds.

"Anyone else confused?" Cyborg asked as he looked at the other teens in the room.

Robin held a hand to his chin in deep thought. "What is Danny doing? If he wasn't captured then why hasn't he come back?"

"And why did he steal from Plasmius? He'd been pretty adamant about avoiding the guy." Cyborg added in.

"This isn't making sense, and why did he steal this key? What's it for?"

Cyborg crossed his arms in frustration. "You'd think he'd have at least told us what it was for, or where to find the lock it opens."

"That's because he couldn't." Said the ever more surprised Raven as her eyes widened more by the minute.

"What do you mean, Raven?" Asked Robin with a curious tone.

"Because that key could be for anything. The Skeleton Key is exactly what it is; a key for everything."

"The master key of the Ghost Zone?" Scott questioned. "Preposterous! That has been lost for centuries."

"Master key?" Robin inquired. "What are you two talking about?"

Scott cleared his throat a moment before answering. "The Skeleton Key, or master key, is a special artifact able to open anything in the ghost zone; any realm, any door, lock and sometimes even a ghost. It all depends on how it's used. Of course the regents hid the key after the fall of Pariah Dark so that no one could release him….." He stopped short.

"Then how'd he get out to terrorize Amity Park?" Dani asked in a knowing tone.

"Wait a minute." Cyborg stated as he scratched at his head a bit. "Didn't Danny mention that Vlad guy grave robbing some big shot ghost and leaving him to clean up the mess?" Both Raven and Robin nodded. "So now he has some key to everything? What's he going to use it for?"

Robin thought a moment before turning back to the computer. "I think I know….. it's not good." He brought up a picture of the crystal stolen last year. "Remember what Danny said about this crystal? How it could be used as a doorway to summon ghosts but certain realms needed permissions? Well what if he had a key to open those normally locked realms?"

"Then he could pull out hordes of ghosts… there wouldn't be any limit on how many…." Raven continued with a grave expression.

"But why would he steal it? I guess a better question would be why he'd go anywhere near Vlad willingly." Dani asked in an agitated tone. As much as she hated the halfa she knew something was up with what he was talking about.

"But that doesn't answer the big question." Robin started as he turned back to the screen. "Where is he now?"

* * *

"So what do you think?" Terra asked a rather absent minded Dani. They were practicing down by the water outside the tower. Terra lifted a large rock up with her powers and was about to toss it Dani's way before realizing the girl had spaced on her. "Dani?" The teen didn't seem to move as she looked off towards the city.

She waited a moment before dropping the large rock just to the side of her, successfully snapping her out of her thoughts. "Wha!?"

"Earth to Dani?" She asked with a worried smile. "You're the one who said it was a good time to practice."

The young halfa rubbed the back of her neck with a down cast expression. "Sorry… it's just this whole thing with Danny. He's the only real family I have, and now he's MIA."

Terra gave her friend a pat on the back. "Well if he's half the guy you made him out to be, he'll be showing up pretty soon."

"Yeah, I guess." She responded with a light smile.

"Hey, Terra!" The two girls turned to see Beast Boy heading their way. He hopped down a few ridges to land sloppily by the blonde he'd called for.

"Hey, Beast Boy." She gave a small wave. "What's up?"

The green teen gave his neck a nervous rub as he turned to the side. "I was wondering if we could finally talk…" Terra furrowed her brow as her eyes drifted to the rocks below. She gave a gentle nod before backing up towards the edge of the water. Beast Boy then took a quick look around. "Hey weren't you with Dani?" After a few more quick glances around he turned back to face Terra. "Where'd she go?"

Terra gave a laugh as she turned to him. "She's good at disappearing when she needs to." She then sat down on the shore rocks and started pawing around for a stone. "So what's on your mind?" She asked though she already knew what he was going to ask.

Beast Boy sat down on a rock nearby. "I'm not trying to bring up anything you don't want to remember, but…"

She brought her hand up to him. "Save it….. I've been trying to remember things since I found out I had forgotten. If I was going to remember, you'd think I would have remembered something by now…." She then let out a sigh before smiling towards the sky. "Just relax." She hugged one knee as she turned back to him.

"Well, before…. When you came back that is, we kinda… went on a date?" He said with a sheepish expression, not really too sure she'd believe him.

"Did we?" She asked with a brow raised. She then brushed some of her hair from her face. "What did we do?" She turned away as she asked with a slight redness being visible on her cheeks.

Beast Boy started to stutter on the words at first but eventually got them out. "We…. We, uh… oh! We went for pie, went to the fair, rode on rides.." He listed off on his fingers. She smiled as she watched him go and couldn't help being a bit sad that she couldn't remember. It only took a moment for Beast Boy to look up and see her sad smile and he stopped in his tracks. "What's wrong?"

"Hmm?" She raised her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Beast Boy leaned forward on his hands. "Its just that…. I guess you looked really sad just now…."

Her eyes went down cast after that and she gave an empty laugh. "I guess…. I guess I just wish I could remember it. It sounds like so much fun."

Beast Boy's eyes went wide as he thought over his next idea. "Wait…" He stood up and outstretched his hand. "Why don't we go out now? If you don't remember, then we can just do it again!"

She seemed confused at first as she looked up at him from her sitting position. She then slowly reached for his hand and pushed her self up. "I'd like that." Just as she made it to her feet Beast Boy's communicator went off surprising both of them.

"Huh?" He flipped it open to see Robin with a serious expression. "Beast Boy, get up to the tower now. We have a situation!" His face instantly scrunched up in a disappointed expression as he placed it back on his side in resignation. "Aww man!"

Terra couldn't help but laugh. "It's alright. Rain check?" She asked.

"And I can't wait to cash it!" He responded with enthusiasm as he led the way back up to the tower.

* * *

Robin was once again at the computer as the Titans slowly assembled in the main room. Bones stood perched on the edge of the chair with a worried expression as he watched over the boy wonder's shoulder. "What's up?" Beast Boy asked as he ran through the doors. Terra was just behind him and now all were present aside from Dani.

"Yeah, Rob, what's going on? You find the guy?"

Robin shook his head as he turned up towards the big screen. "No, It's Danny."

Raven's eyes widened. "You found him?"

"Well, yes and no." Scott responded for him. "It's more like he's headed this way and I could feel him approaching."

"But isn't that great? You kinda made it seem like something bad was goin down." Cyborg commented as he watched data fly across the screen.

"The problem is that a horde of ghosts are on his tail." The screen flickered into a radar depicting one dot being chased by what looked like hundreds more.

"Uh… deja-vu?" Beast Boy questioned as he scratched at his head.

"Yeah, isn't this the second time this happened?" Cyborg added in.

"I really hope that's what's actually happening." Said Scott with a worried tone. "I have a horrible feeling about this…."

Robin gave the ghost a critical gaze before turning to his team. " We should prepare for the worst. There's a horde of ghosts headed for the city and they're going to run wild unless we do something." He then slammed his fist to his hand as he stood. "Titans go!"

With haste, each titan prepared for the upcoming battle. Robin readied his wide arsenal of ecto-improved weapons, Cyborg tapped the defense system of the tower to defend against ghosts, and Raven consulted Minos. Starfire, Beast Boy and Terra didn't have more than their natural skills to prepare while Dani was still MIA. Robin now stood before the screen as he watched the army of ghosts approach and seem to circle the tower. What worried him most about the situation is that the dot, they had assumed was Danny, had now mixed in with the rest. He then turned to head towards the roof where the other titans had started to make their way towards. When he exited the roof door, he was the last to reach the meeting spot.

"At least we know his target was here." Bones commented as he floated towards the edge and pointed at the man floating further away.

At first glance it would seem a most baffling sight, but at the second one could tell he was standing on something. The man had rather pale skin, was bald but had a beard, and looked to be dressed rather strangely. He didn't wear any sort of shirt and instead had some sort of cloth simply draped around his shoulders, while his pants looked more like a cross between the bottom of a robe and the sort of baggy pants you'd find on an old Arabian peddler. "Guten Tag, Titans." His smirk widened as he looked over the six of them. "Looks to me like you've already found a replacement. Quite on top of things aren't we?" Though he had a slight German accent, his words were easy enough to understand and it got angry glares from the six teens.

"She's not a replacement!" Robin shouted angrily. "Where's Phantom!?"

The man cocked his head to the side in mock confusion. "Phantom? Oh, you must be referring to the Halfling! Yes, he's here." He then snapped his fingers causing the force beneath him to become visible. The large feathered lizard screeched loudly as it adjusted its position. "But he's not alone. I've brought plenty more."

"What have you done with him!" Raven demanded as she levitated from the roof, her eyes aglow with power.

The man shook his head. "Whatever do you mean? I haven't done anything."

"Liar!" She shouted back as she raised one hand ready to strike.

He then raised both hands in defensive manner. "Ah, but its true, Zauberin, let me show you." He then snapped his fingers again and another form became visible. It was now Danny looking on them from the man's side, his eyes burning with a red anger. The strange man then placed a hand on his shoulder. "You see now? He is completely fine." Danny looked almost repulsed by the man's touch but didn't move away.

"Dude! What's he doing?" Beast Boy asked in an obviously confused state. "That's the bad guy!"

"Something's off here." Robin stated as he scrutinized his teammate from afar.

"You're quite right." Scott confirmed. "There is definitely something wrong here…. I just can't put my wing on it."

"Yo, Danny! What are you doing over there! You're supposed to be over here!" Cyborg shouted to his seemingly lost friend.

"Yes friend Phantom, you should come and join with us!" Starfire added in.

The halfa gave the man a questioning gaze which got him a shake of the head. "No, you stay here." Danny complied by simply staying put as told.

"Why is he listening to that guy?" Terra asked as she kept her hands in battle position.

Starfire's expression fell. "Surely he does not wish to fight his friends? Why is he not willing to listen?"

The man laughed in response. "Such a funny girl you are. You speak as if he has a will at all."

"I knew it! You did do something to him!" Raven then moved to attack only to stop short when Danny moved to defend his new master. This only made the sorceress angrier as she reluctantly backed away.

"You see, he is fine. All I did was take away that pesky free will of his." His smirk then widened. "And all of theirs as well." He then snapped his fingers again and ghosts started to appear from all around them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This moment is supposed to mirror one from earlier in the story. Danny's now the bad guy!? Raise your hand if you saw that coming! I actually dropped a few hints in when I mentioned artifacts before. (Then again the bad guy controls ghosts so, duh)=^-^=


	26. To Fight Your Friends...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Titans fight their friend. Robin takes note of their opponent and a very curious item he has on him.

The situation certainly appeared out of hand now as the Titans found themselves supremely surrounded. Ghosts glared them down in all directions with several different numbers of eyes. The pompous stranger seemed to be enjoying their anxiety as they looked over the horde floating around the tower. "Well? Why not just end it and give up? You are outmatched."

Cyborg chuckled with the anxiety still clear on his face. "Yeah, it's easy enough to say that when you have the army of the undead at your beck and call."

"But we don't go down that easy!" Shouted Robin as if finishing his friend's statement. "The minute we figure out how you're doing all of this, you go down!"

The man shook his head and chuckled. "As expected from children. You seldom understand when you have no chance; you're arrogant, and so naïve." He then crossed his arms and turned his eyes towards the glaring Phantom beside him. "Why don't you teach them the difference between courage and foolishness." He then gave a whistle and a few more ghosts came over from the surrounding hordes. "You can help too." The three he called over floated by Phantom like a small team and all of them glared in joy over the halfa. One of them was a bulky green creature with bull horns, the second appeared to be a naga of some kind with an extra set of arms and the last was a one eyed reptilian creature with a split tail.

Danny gave a smirk as he looked back at his back up and then down at his former team. He then dashed off with the other three just behind him and fighting quickly ensued. While the three gruesome allies picked off opponents of their own, Danny had to split himself off to even the score. Beast Boy leaped at the reptilian ghost in the form of a gorilla wearing his ghost gloves. The horned ghost quickly asserted himself before Cyborg causing a grappling match to ensue.

The third ghost found it amusing to play with Terra as she tried to hit him with an array of smallish rocks. She wasn't fairing too well after only a few minutes as the naga ghost slithered his way for a bit of close combat. "Come now, girl, let'sss close the distancccccce." He suggested with a wry grin and his tongue flailing from his lips. He blocked her punches with his lower set of arms and held the other set high above her head with his claws clasped together.

His cackle was cut short as a Rhino rammed him down from the side quickly transforming back into an angry Beast Boy. "Back off!"

"Beast Boy, look out!" The blonde yelled as his former opponent made a dash for the changeling. A bolt of green energy cut it down in its tracks, however, as an irate alien flew off towards the ghoul.

With the other four Titans dealing with the underling ghosts, Robin and Raven were left to face their former comrade. The two Danny's smirked at their opponents as they lit their hands with green energy. "I don't know what he's doing to control you, but fight it!" Robin yelled in reason. The halfa laughed in response as the cruel glint in his eye turned to a blast from his palm. The boy wonder dodged with grace before coming at the ghost with his bo staff. Danny dodged several times before allowing his feet to touch the roof top. As Robin pointed the staff at him an idea came to mind and the halfa smirked as the glow of his hands turned to blue. He formed an ice staff in seconds and started an amusing sparing match with the boy wonder.

Meanwhile the other Danny floated before Raven with all the appearance of preparing for an attack, but never attacking. Raven held her guard as she waited for him to strike, but seeing all the others be attacked while she had not, made her uneasy. As she moved her gaze back on the halfa before her she noticed he was looking at her with a curious expression. "Danny?" She asked in a slightly pleading tone. The last thing she wanted was to fight him. Danny glared in return but stayed in place, and ready for attack. What is he doing? Raven thought to herself. Though relieved to not be fighting him she couldn't help but be curious.

Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one to notice as an angry shout from above fell down. "Just what are you waiting for, Phantom? Attack!" Danny turned and glared at the man like a teenager would an angry parent. "What was that?!" The man shouted in outrage. "Do as I say!" He continued as he pulled out a red orb from his bag. "Now!" He grasped it tight and Danny's eyes glowed red in response. With a new found air of cruelty he turned his head towards the sorceress and let out a beam of ectoplasm from his right palm.

Raven blocked it rather easily with her magic and blasted back. Danny was able to dodge with equal ease and they went back and forth like that several times. Robin, watching the fight from the corner of his eye, continued his match against the duplicate as he blocked a swing from above. "Just what is going on?" He muttered to himself as he pushed Danny back and swept his feet. Danny stumbled back a bit to dodge but quickly found his footing. Robin took the short moment allotted to him to get a better look at the man and noticed the glowing red orb in his hands as he sternly watched Danny fight with Raven. "It has to be that red ball…." He deduced as he blocked once again and a battle of endurance ensued between the two as their weapons scraped each other.

The other Titans fared no better against their opponents as Cyborg and his ghost took turns throwing each other into the hardest surfaces they could find. They had long ago left the roof and now took to the rocky shore below. "Damn! Just what is this thing made of!?" Cyborg complained as he picked himself up from a small crater. He rubbed his head a bit just before noticing the creature charge at him once again with his prominent horns. "Time to take the bull by the horns!" He told himself as he grabbed them and forced the specter to a halt. The creature growled in protest as the metal man lifted him up and tossed him across the shore. He quickly followed the ghost to his landing spot and pulled out his ecto-enforced sonic cannon. "Now stay down, spooky!" He shouted just before blasting him out of existence.

He blew on the opening of his weapon in satisfaction before hearing a rumble from behind himself. Once he turned, he saw another ghost cratered into the rock as a hail of green blasts rained over it. After about a minute the barrage ended as Starfire, eyes aglow in rage, breathed heavily in the air above. "You are a most unpleasant creature!" Cyborg took a small step back with a nervous expression as he kept himself out of the Tamaranean's war path.

Beast Boy and Terra seemed to be having a bit more trouble even though it was two against one. The ghost they faced seemed more powerful and smart as it quickly caught on as to who was the weaker of the two. He continued to dive for Terra at any moment he could which caused Beast Boy to recklessly retaliate. The green lion swiped at the ghost, much to his own pleasure as he slipped by the claws every time. "Kitty wantsssss to play?" Beast Boy roared in response as he leaped at the creature.

Terra backed him up with a relatively large rock and attempted to throw it at the ghost but it simply slipped right through him like so many others. "I'm getting nowhere!" She yelled in frustration.

"Then let me help!" She heard from behind. Just as she turned back a black and white blur flew past her line of sight. Dani had flown in just in time to save Beast Boy from a crushing blow to the chin as the ghost held his throat. "How about some of this!" She taunted as she held her hands together and blasted the ghost with her ghost ray. The ghost, taken by surprise, was blasted back and skidded to the water. Dani followed up with several random blasts in his direction as she flew over the salt water surface. She paused in mid-air with a short breath as she watched for the ghost to come back up. Patience became relief as the waters slowly began to settle with no retaliation from the ghost. She then pumped her fist in victory as she turned back to her equally relieved friend.

"Nice going!" Terra shouted in support from the shore before her happiness contorted in fear.

Dani's confusion was short lived as she slowly turned to meet the crimson glare of her cousin. "D-danny?" She choked out before the halfa raised both arms up and brought them down on her like a hammer on a nail. She dropped from the air and dove towards the water much to the dismay of the geokinetic.

"No! Dani!" Her eyes glowed yellow as she willed the earth to come up from the water, but before the younger halfa could complete her descent, she caught herself and floated inches above the water.

Breathing heavily she looked back up to her cousin with betrayal in her eyes. Even if he was being controlled, how could he do this? He didn't even hesitate! She thought to herself as she watched the smirk on his face grow. She floated back towards the shore slowly while keeping her eyes on her elder cousin. "How could you! E…even if…" Small tears fell down her cheeks as her hands trembled with emotion. She then turned her gaze up towards the man and they cut in anger. "This is your fault!" She shouted as she pointed at the stranger. As she made a move to fly towards him, Danny cut her off and strong armed her all the way to shore where she made quite the impression on the rocks.

* * *

Robin, who was continuing his sparing match heard the yells from below and knew it was time to end his stalling. Though he had not figured out a way to get the orb, chances are it would be costly in this situation and so he got serious. After parrying Phantom's latest swing he pushed him back and plunged the staff straight through the duplicate's chest. The ecto-energy flowing through the staff did its job as the ghost's form evaporated away.

Raven's Phantom suddenly seemed more distracted from his fight and it wasn't long before he dashed away completely. Both Raven and Robin followed suit and he led them down to the base of the tower where he looked to be fighting a teenage girl only two of the Titans recognized. They caught up with him at the end of the match and the girl was now collapsed upon the rocky shore.

Though one of the teens was now down for the count, the man was not happy as he looked over the scene. The only ghost still fighting was Phantom while the rest were seemingly dealt with. He let out a growl of frustration as he crossed his arms. "Hurry up and end this, Phantom! I have better things to do then watch you play with these children!"

Phantom turned and gave a short glare to the man before moving back a bit to take a good position. He took in a deep breath and upon breathing out an outrageous wail came with it. All conscious Titans covered their ears in protest of the noise. Sparks flew up from Cyborg as he struggled to keep from falling over the shaking ground. A minute into the wail and it was interrupted by Danny being blasted from behind. Starfire, with her ears covered by her hands, had used her eyes instead to end her friends suffering.

Danny clasped at his side in pain as he glared back at the girl, while breathing heavily. The wail had taken its toll on the halfa as he hesitated to make any moves at all against her in retaliation. The villain above watched the scene in anger as his patience met its limit. "It seems I overestimated the Phantom's abilities. It's time to end this silly game." He then held up the orb and in response, the circle of ghosts began to close in.

Robin looked up at the encroaching army and cursed. "Damn! If only we could get that thing away from him." He held his bo staff up and at the ready as most of the other Titans did with their own weapons of choice.

"I hope you have some sort of plan cause I'm pulling a blank." Cyborg said as he turned to Robin. "We don't have the man power to fight all of those ghosts and I'm running low on power after that last one."

Robin grunted in response. "There has to be something!"

"Dude!" Beast Boy shouted as he pointed at the sky. A beam of green energy was now shooting up from the tower and was washing over them like a rain. A dome quickly formed, completely covering the island and a small portion of the water within.

Danny sharpened his gaze at the tower's roof in what appeared to be a mixture of confusion and anxiety before reassigning his gaze towards the Tamaranean. "Hurry up!" He shouted at her in anger.

Starfire was so surprised by his sudden speech she dropped her starbolts. She shook her head as she made a slow approach. "Please, friend Phantom. I do not wish to harm you."

Danny lit up his fist in response. "Then I'll harm you!" His fire was caught as he was encased in a glowing green net. Danny twisted in the net's grasp enough to see his attacker to find Scott with a ghost net launcher held clumsily within his talons.

The bony bird then flew off towards the shore. "I'm going to need some help here!" He shouted as he tossed the base of the gun to Cyborg. "You're going to have to reel him in quick before he can regain any strength." Cyborg didn't hesitate to grab for the line and Beast Boy transformed into a gorilla to help him out.

"What is this thing?" Robin asked as he saw several ghosts make contact with the barrier only to be shocked back.

"It is a ghost shield." Scott squawked back. "It took me longer than I expected to find the control for it, but it should keep all other ghosts out aside from me and Phantom."

"Right, I remember going over the grid on the roof with Danny about installing this." Cyborg added in as he drew the halfa ever near despite the ghost's attempts to fly away.

"So it'll keep out those ghosts?" Beast Boy asked as he watched the horde fruitlessly attack the energy barrier.

"Precisely."

"How long?" Robin inquired as he turned to his second in command.

"Based on the power output, we can keep it up for days, but I doubt it's been field tested on this many ghosts before."

Robin then turned his gaze towards the fallen halfa who Terra was watching over. The striking resemblance she had for Phantom was easily noticed despite her tattered appearance. "Is she okay?" Asked Beast Boy as he kneeled down beside her.

Terra shook her head as she placed a hand on the shoulder of her friend. "I don't think so…." As if in response to her touch, a bright ring appeared around the girl and quickly enveloped her revealing an all too familiar teenage girl. Her stark white hair, now black, and her suit now street clothes, made it plain to see it was now Danny's cousin lying defeated on the ground.

* * *

Back inside the tower, the team retreated to the medical bay where they had placed Dani and looked over other wounded members of the team. Terra sat in a chair beside Dani with Beast Boy standing beside her. "I can't believe he could do that to his own cousin." He commented as he turned to the now bound halfa on the other side of the room.

"He couldn't help it." Raven held him with her energy along with the net, which was now wrapped around his torso.

"Serves her right for being an idiot anyway." Scott quipped which got him an angry glare from Terra.

"She saved both me and Beast Boy!"

He gave a sarcastic laugh in response as he floated over towards the two. "Yes, a completely pointless endeavor on her part. I told her I was going to get the shield online, but no! She had to go off and be a hero; a fool's more like it really." He then pointed Danny's way. "If he hadn't knocked her out so fast she would have fallen under the imperious spell as well and then we'd have two of them to worry about!"

Cyborg lifted his head away from his repairs. "What are you talking about?"

"The orb." Robin answered. "It's that red orb isn't it?"

Raven and Scott gave nods. "It's what is controlling all of those ghosts…. Controlling Danny." Raven responded as she turned in his direction.

"Yes, and all it takes is one look to be captured by the spell. One look, and you're a slave in all matters of the word."

Robin then rubbed his chin a bit. Cyborg noticed his curious form and questioned him. "What's up, Robin?"

"Something isn't right." He stated as he turned towards Danny. "If he had no control over what he was doing then why was he playing with Raven?"

The sorceress in question gave a supporting nod. "It was strange….. he didn't even attack until he was ordered to and even then…. He didn't hit me even once."

Robin gave a nod. "And then there was Dani." He said as he pointed towards the girl. "The minute we heard her join the fight Danny dashed straight for her. He just dropped everything to go after her first."

"Then he had more control than we thought?" Cyborg questioned.

Robin nodded as he turned back Danny's way. "I'm not entirely sure how, but he was going against the spell. He refused to attack Raven and made sure that Danielle wouldn't fall prey to the spell's control."

"Then his words….." Starfire started but died in her throat.

"What are you talking about, Star?" Robin asked his girlfriend.

She turned to the halfa with sympathetic eyes. "It was after I had attacked him. He wished for me to hurry and stop him. I am sorry but I could not bring myself to do so."

"It's alright, Star." Robin consoled.

"If it wasn't for the shield, I doubt you would have got him even if you did." Cyborg added in as he walked over to the screen. "It weakens ecto-energy held inside it."

Bones clicked his tongue to correct him. "Both Danny's and my own signatures were added in as exceptions. That is why I can still move about freely." He then turned back towards the glaring halfa. "But that wouldn't matter anyway. Danny is already running on empty as it is. He wouldn't have been able to do much to stop you."

"I guess copying himself and using that yelling attack really took it out of him." Beast Boy commented with a relieved tone as he watched his former teammate from a safe distance.

Bones then scoffed at him. "Please. He was like that before the fight even started. Do you honestly think that I wouldn't be able to tell given the distance? That wail of his would have decimated you all at such short range. Phantom has gone one on one with arch spirits fully capable of decimating whole civilizations."

Raven couldn't help but give a small sarcastic laugh. "Since when has your opinion of him gotten so great?"

The ghost crossed his arms in insult. "I am merely stating fact. Even now, Raven is the only thing holding him back. What we need to do is break the spell somehow."

The girl in question then turned her gaze to the Chronicle tome on a table across the room. "So just how do we break it?"

The latch broke on the side in response and the book flew open. "What a question to ask." Said Minos as he smoked out of the book. "But not impossible." He wore a confident grin which would make any normal person's skin crawl. Raven returned his grin with a knowing one. She knew he'd have something. After all, information is what he prides himself on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the bad guy stupidly waits until its too late to send in the horde and chooses to play with heroes instead? Doesn't he watch TV? That always makes the bad guy lose! Anyway, I'm going to do a bit of explaining for the powers and how I rate them for this fic.
> 
> -Terra's powers first I guess. She was rather over powered under the control of Slade wasn't she? But since her memory of that whole scenario is basically gone, she had to start over from what she had. I'll explain this later, but she got practice in with Dani. 
> 
> -Now for Danny's powers a bit. You have to look at him in a superman point of view. He has a large skill set and normally fights creatures that you can't, for all intents and purposes, kill. In Jump city, though many of them have powers, he does have to worry about possibly killing them. He holds himself back accordingly like superman, but of course that doesn't make him invulnerable. I'm not going to make him over powered of course, so no worries. I'm just trying to adjust it a bit.=^-^=


	27. Will to Save

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven dives into Danny's mind to try and break the mind control spell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will be highly reminiscent of the Teen Titans episode "Nevermore" and yes, I know its super original. How did I come up with it? (Cue sarcastic eye roll)=^-^=

"Now place the stones on the power axis, and be precise. If they move off of them, then the circle will lose its effect." Minos dictated to the sorceress as she prepared the spell. Robin, Raven, Bones, and Minos had all moved to a new location, being Raven's room, to work on a way to get Danny back. After Minos suggested the initial move, Robin concurred stating it would be safer should Phantom get loose.

"So are you sure this will hold him?" Robin inquired as he observed the preparation.

Minos, electing to ignore him, simply continued his instruction. "The runes placed around the outer ring are specific, so be careful." Once she finished the character Minos gave a content nod. "Good, that should hold nicely. You should now move him to the very center before you activate the spell." Raven made a calming breath before moving her hand in the direction of the enchained ghost. He squirmed slightly as he was lifted into the air and placed at the center. Just as she placed him down she used her other hand to toss a fine powder on the spell causing the outer ring to faintly glow. Danny immediately ceased all extraneous movement as he was held in a straight sitting position. Bone's exhaustion was immediate as he fell over into a sedated state. Minos simply smirked at the bird as he floated over his book. "You'd be wise to remain still. Your energy will remain interrupted until the circle is broken." Scott grunted in response before the chronicler smoked back into his book.

"So everything's ready?" Robin asked his teammate.

She gave a nod in response. "Yes. I'm going to use my powers to enter his consciousness. From there I should be able to destroy the spell." She took a meditative position, floating just above the ground. "I need to concentrate." She told the boy wonder before turning to Danny and closing her eyes. A short moment of silence ensued before she opened her, now glowing eyes, and recited her practiced chant.

* * *

Static….. it felt as if his mind was a flurry of fuzzy thoughts as she forced her consciousness through. Her black aura weaved through the images as if she were swimming against a strong current. It became harsher and harsher until it stopped all together. It was now quiet, a stark contrast to her experience. The first time she had attempted to enter his mind, she was forced out by the harsh emotion he was feeling at the time. Just now though, it was as if he was confused; nothing seemed to be in any particular order, and now it was nothing. Her inquiry into the nothingness around her was cut off by a sudden solid surface forming under her feet.

She looked down at what appeared to be a small floating land mass. A wave of green emanated from around the mass and proceeded to illuminate the so called nothingness around her. The green swirls of the ghost zone reflected in her eyes as she took in the sudden light. She held one hand over her face in instinctual recoil; though her body wasn't actually there, her mind projected her there and so she was as real in the mental plane as she was on Earth. 'Is this… the ghost zone?' She asked herself mentally. "His mind must hold an imprint of the zone. Maybe his ghost half has something to do with it?" She took a good look around and noted the floating doors and several random land masses around her.

As she subconsciously stepped forward land seemed to form in her path as if guiding her. "Whatever this spell's form is, it must be behind one of these doors." She walked a bit further and up some conveniently formed stairs to find herself in front of a blue door. As she reached for the knob she thought she heard a noise from behind, but upon turning around she saw nothing. Her attention once again on the door before her, she pulled it open a small bit before feeling a hand on her shoulder.

"D-don't open it….please?"

Her eyes widened and she turned around as fast as she could. Unfortunately, this seemed to scare her guest and they flew back. "Danny?" Her initial relief turned to confusion once she got a good look at the teen before her. It was Danny, but his outfit was….. strange. All the parts that are usually stark white to match his hair were now yellow while the hair still remained white. She moved towards him a bit more but he floated back again and covered his face with his arms as if defending an attack. "Hold on, Danny….." He didn't seem to listen as he floated back more the closer she got. "It's alright."

"N-no its not!" He then disappeared altogether, leaving her alone once again.

She let out a sigh as she turned towards the door she was opening earlier. "That must have been an aspect of Danny…" She closed the door and turned to make her way to a different one. Emotional aspects tend to have the same desires as the person they are a part of. Danny himself must not want her in that door for a reason. She decided to fly towards a red one but stopped short of it with a shake of her head. She didn't want to take a chance that red for him was the same as hers.

She then decided on an orange door and flew to open that one. She peaked inside and instantly heard what sounded like an announcer on the TV. "We've made history today here in Cape Canaveral. A day the human race won't forget anytime soon."

"Hi!" She turned her head away from the television screen to be met with a very chipper Danny aspect. This one was orange in places much like the yellow on the previous one.

"Hi?" She responded in a questioning surprise.

He grabbed her wrist from the door and pulled her inside. "I'm so happy to see you! Now I can show you this!" He whipped out a model space probe. "Copernicus 12. Designed to investigate abnormal readings of the Sun. It'll be able to get closer to stars than anything ever made on Earth." She raised a brow as she looked at it and then back towards the beaming halfa. "Pretty cool, huh? I just finished building it."

Then it hit her. This must be the aspect of happiness in Danny's mind. Doing anything space related always made him happy. He then turned and placed the model on the shelf while humming an upbeat tune. Raven couldn't help but smile at his current childlike nature. She then remembered what she was here for and cleared her throat. "Danny?"

He turned with a smile. "Hmm?"

"Have you noticed anything strange? Anything that doesn't belong in here?"

"Yeah." He bluntly stated as he sat down on a stool. "But you don't want to see it. It would be really bad if it saw you." He said with a smile as he stretched.

Raven turned for the door. "But I need to find it. I'm here to destroy it."

Danny cut her off and placed both of his hands on her shoulders. "No can do, Raven, you have to stay away from it."

She moved around him. "But I have too. That's the reason I'm here."

He caught her by her hood as she opened the door. "Alright, but let me show you where to go." He gave her a smile as he flew ahead of her and out the door. Raven simply shrugged and welcomed the needed guide.

Her trust in the aspect became a bit shaky though, as he placed her back in front of the red door she'd passed up earlier. "This one?" She asked as she turned to him.

"Yup. What you need is behind this door."

She opened it up and walked in a little before turning to him. "Aren't you coming?"

"Nope, sorry."

Before she could say anything, she was pulled inside and the door slammed shut. She took a defensive stance as she lit up her hands with energy. One look around the room she was in, however, made her lower her defenses. It was… odd. Everything had something red on it, from the red comforter of the bed to the red frames on the wall; even the strange variety of lit candles burned with bright red light. "Oh, Rae!" She heard Danny call from behind as his arms fell around her shoulders. "You don't know how long I've wanted to do this!" He then proceeded to rub his cheek against hers causing a blushed to form on Raven's pale cheeks.

"Danny?!" She turned around in his arms to try and talk only to be silenced with a sudden kiss. It was so unexpected, she had no time to prepare as it made her weak in the knees.

Danny held her up against him as he continued the strength draining kiss. He sat her down on the edge of the bed once he'd stopped and held out his hand to her. An ice rose formed in seconds. "For you my lovely, Rae. A beautiful rose for a girl even more beautiful." She was still quite spaced out from his kiss and took it without much thought. "When you passed up my door before, I was afraid I wouldn't get to see you" He said as he brushed some of her hair behind her ear. "But here you are, and I find myself conflicted. Though I want you to be here…. I also know it's too dangerous for you here."

With the mention of danger Raven snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to him. "The spell, that's what I came here to get rid of."

Danny furrowed his brow. "But you can't break it. Just stay here with me." He finished as a wily expression returned to his face and he slowly leaned forward.

"Danny I-"

He placed a finger on her lips. "Come on, Rae, can't we talk about something else? How about your eyes? They complement your hair beautifully."

Raven blushed as he took a lock of it in his hands while keeping his strong gaze on her. "I need-"

Danny pushed her down without any warning and now had her pinned to the bed. "To stay here? Of course you do."

He then leaned down to kiss her again only this time he was stopped half way by Raven's hand. "Stop. I need to find the source of the spell or Danny will never get free of the orb's mind control."

Danny grabbed her wrist to move her hand from covering his mouth. "Raven, please. I care too much to let you do this. I would never forgive myself if you got hurt for me." He then pulled her hand into his red glove and back up to his face to kiss the back of it. "You can ask me for anything else… please, Raven."

She let out a sigh as she pulled her hand away. "And I would never forgive myself if I let you stay under the spell's control."

After a few moments and a feudal resistance to Raven's determination, Danny sighed in defeat. He rolled over onto his back so that he was lying next to Raven now. "I just can't say no to you, Rae…."

Raven sat up and turned to him as he rested his hands on his chest. "Do you know where it is?"

Danny averted his gaze as he responded. "I…. I do." He started before turning back to her. "But are you sure this is what you want? If it catches you then you'll be stuck here. I can't go into to where it is to help."

Raven's mask of indifference appeared to crack as she gave him a sad expression. "You should know that if this continues, neither of us will be happy. I have to do it."

Danny sighed again before sitting up. "Alright then, I'll show you where it is." He then grabbed for her hand again and gave her a pleading expression. "But you have to be careful alright? Please!"

Raven gave him a nod as she pulled herself off the bed with her captured hand trailing behind. "I have every intention of getting out of here." She stated with a slight anger in her tone. "I will destroy the spell holding Danny."

Her serious proclamation was interrupted when Danny grabbed her from behind. She was in his arms, bridal style, before she even had a chance to protest. "Danny!? P-Put me down!" She commanded as she squirmed in his arms.

Danny ignored it and nuzzled her neck. "Oh come on, Rae, at least let me have this much." Her cheeks were a bright red as Danny floated up and over to the door. "Besides, I've always wanted to pick you up like this." He then gave her a quick peck on the cheek before taking off out the door. Raven could barely keep her head straight between Danny's flirts and preparing for the spell she would inevitably face.

After passing several different doors of an assortment of colors, the red Danny aspect suddenly stopped short in the air. Raven was caught slightly off guard as she turned to him with a brow raised. He was looking up and didn't seem to like what he was seeing. "Uh-oh…." Raven turned to look where he was to see yet another Danny aspect.

This one was grey where the white should have been and he didn't look too happy. "I should have known you'd cave." He remarked as he floated down towards the two of them. "I guess betting you'd protect her over help her wasn't my best idea." He then gestured to the side with his left hand. A red door immediately materialized in the air. "I'm going to take her from here."

"But I….." The red Danny's words died in his throat under the stern gaze of the grey Danny. He was a bit disheartened as he turned to Raven. "Sorry… I have to go a bit earlier than I thought." He then leaned down to give her a quick kiss. "But I'll see you later right?" He half asked with a smile. He then set her down in the air where she took over her own levitation. He waved as he turned and headed to the red door.

"What's going on?" The red Danny closed the door behind him and she turned to the grey one.

"I sent him back." He started as he turned to her with his arms crossed. "He's certainly not going to do any good now." He let out a sigh. "He was supposed to keep you away from the spell, not bring you to it."

Raven wasn't at all happy at that revelation. "So you're all in on that." She said more like a statement than a question.

"Yes." Danny responded. "I told all the others to try and keep you out of trouble in here. There are places in Danny's mind that were already dangerous enough before Faust's spell arrived. The last thing he would want is for you to get hurt in here. That being said, it seems to have done nothing to stop you."

"No and it won't." Raven stated adamantly but still calmly. "I will find the spell and destroy it." She then floated forward and past the new aspect who raised a brow in response.

"Do you even know where you're going?" Raven didn't respond and continued forward fully aware that the aspect could be trying to distract her. The grey Danny brushed his fingers through his hair before letting out a sigh. "Alright look," he started as he flew after her. "Would you just hold on a minute?"

Raven didn't turn as she responded and continued forward. "You've already admitted to trying to trick me, why should I wait for you?"

Danny darted in front of her. "Because I may just take you where you want to go if you do. You should know more than anyone how confusing the inside of another person's mind is. You could spend days looking or you can wait a minute and I'll take you straight to it."

Raven thought for a moment. He did have a point and when it came down to it, trying to get him to help seemed more effective then aimlessly searching. With a stoic expression she gave a nod. "What?"

Danny appeared relieved she listened before becoming serious. "Alright then, what I really wanted to get across was the reason he doesn't want you there. The spell, it enchains a person's will. While it normally has to root itself in the core of a ghost in order to take effect, if a person enters the mind of a ghost then they are just as susceptible. Danny knows from experience….. this has happened before." He said rather regretfully. "His biggest fear is you being turned into a slave like he is." He then turned away with a lamenting expression. "If you understand that, then I'm ready to take you to it…. To him."

Raven remained stoic at first before taking a breath. "Then it seems we're on the same page."

Danny turned to her with a small smirk. "Yeah, I figured that's what you'd say. I guess that's where the chemistry lies." He then turned and formed his ghostly tail. "Let's go." Raven followed without hesitation as the Grey Danny Aspect led them past a few doors before he took up conversation again. "It's kind of weird how in sync the two of you are after knowing each other for such a short time."

Raven raised a brow. "You're strange.."

"What do you mean?" He asked in response.

"The way you talk. You….. you're not an aspect are you?"

Danny looked back at her as they flew and nodded. "Well no, at least not one like the others. Unlike them, I am both separate and apart of Danny where as they are simply parts."

Raven looked on at him in confusion before her eyes widened. "You're his subconscious!"

"Bingo." He responded in a lite tone. "I personify all of Danny's subconscious desires, needs, feelings ect. Once Danny's true consciousness was trapped by Faust's spell, I made sure to keep things together in here. You could say I'm his last line of defense considering I'm the one who stops him from crossing the big lines." He turned back to her. "Like when he was fighting you. I made sure he was in control enough not to hurt you. Of course, there's only so much I can do. The longer the spell remains rooted, the less effective my influence will become until he's a complete puppet."

"So even his human half can't fight it?" She inquired.

Danny shook his head. "In the long run no. Of course, it did make getting him under control hard, but he's close to a breaking point. When that happens the spell will completely take over and the Danny you know will be gone."

"Good riddance!" Shouted a new third party from ahead of them. The new voice tore Raven's concentration forward and away from the Grey Aspect. Ahead of them was a door marked with Danny's DP emblem and beside it floated what she could only assume was another aspect. This one was strange, however, his colors were the opposite of Danny. Where there was usually black there was white, white was now black, and his radioactive green eyes now glowed crimson red.

Grey Danny looked on him in slight agitation as the two of them slowed to a stop before the new door. "Still waiting for your chance?"

"What else would I be doing?" He asked in a slightly deeper and dark tone. "This is my best chance to get a little freedom. I've been having lots of fun recently." He then gave Raven a dark smirk. "Besides, didn't you need me? I'm your best chance at getting past creepy in there."

"Actually," He started while holding his hand out. A green door materialized near it quickly and a new Danny came out. "I had someone else in mind."

The new green Danny floated in a confident pose as he looked over his company. "Finally, I've been waiting." He then flew over to the door. "Let's get this party started!"

"Hold on!" Grey Danny commanded and the Green Danny stopped short with his hand on the knob of the door. "This one's going to be different. Raven has come to try to break the spell with her powers, and I want the two of you to help her. If things go south in there, you are to get her out." Reverse Danny clicked his tongue and glared while green Danny gave a nod of understanding.

Raven turned to the Grey Danny. "Aren't you coming?"

He shook his head. "Sorry, but I can't. I'm his subconscious remember? People aren't supposed to have contact with their own subconscious. The repercussions could prove worse than our current situation."

Raven gave an understanding nod. She realized quickly that what he was saying was true. She herself had never even dared venture to find her own subconscious. It's the part of the mind that helps protect from trauma and keeps information that cannot otherwise be fully comprehended by the conscious mind. Coming into contact with it could easily cause severe emotional or mental trauma. "Alright! Let's go!" The green Danny commanded as he ripped open the door. He dashed through followed by the reverse Danny and Raven took up the rear.

* * *

"So, how long is this going to take? It's been hours." Bones grumbled from the floor.

Robin was now leaning against the door of the room as he watched Raven continue to float in her trance. "I don't know, but we shouldn't rush this. Who knows what kind of fight this spell is going to put up or how Raven's powers might influence it."

Bones grumbled again as he lay sprawled out on the floor. "But you'd think we would have seen some sort of-" He was cut off when Danny started to twitch. The magic circle restrained his movements but he still showed signs of duress as he tried to get free. He hunched forward slightly as his pupils disappeared and the red of his eyes took over. "Well….. now I can't decide if that's good or bad." Robin nodded while watching with a stern gaze.

* * *

The dark of the room enveloped them as the door closed behind. Green Danny flew at the head of the group as he scanned the area for what he was looking for. "This way." The reverse Danny stated as he flew off in another direction. Both the green Danny and Raven followed. It didn't take long for whatever had gotten his attention to come into view. She could see him now, the true Danny. He seemed to be unconscious and held up by blood red chains. A glowing red mist slowly started to thicken as they drew ever closer to the sleeping figure. "Here he comes." Reverse Danny warned.

"Get ready." Concurred the green Danny.

"It seems this boy is far more troublesome than even I could imagine." Came an eerie voice from all around them. "I spend days just trying to break him, and it seems he has still not fully broken." The mist next formed a smoky head which resembled the strange man from before.

"So Faust is the necromancer." Raven stated as she glared daggers at the head.

Faust smirked widely as he looked on. "Yes, my name is Faust, Anton Faust. I must say, girl, you are quite bold to tread here considering the risk it poses to you. With my army locked from the tower using an inside agent seems to be my best option at destroying you."

Raven cut her eyes as she raised her hands in combat fashion. "I'll take my chances."

"Then maybe not so bold as foolish?" He then laughed as he rushed the two aspects with columns of the red mist. Whatever it was, it appeared to hurt them as it easily forced them back. Faust smirked as he watched the clouds engulf their prey and the victims writhe around in agony. "I'm no longer going to allow you to interfere. You've been getting in my way since the beginning and now my spell's too powerful even for you to impede." He then turned his gaze on the lone Raven as she lit up her hands with magic. "Now, girl, let us get on with your futile attempt to free the Halfling."

He then rushed a column of the mist at her which she pushed back with a column of her own energy. He was surprised when her energy seemed to push back his own but stepped up his game a bit to push back. "Hmm? A bit stronger than I thought you'd be, but I am still stronger." He then rushed two more columns at her from her sides and she was forced to break off her offense in favor of defense. She encompassed herself in a shield as she was assaulted from three sides. "Now you see how truly powerless you are. My spell is rooted here while your power is stretching across his mental plane; I have the obvious advantage!"

Raven expanded her shield which pushed back the mist and dissipated it. "That's not going to stop me!" She growled out as she rushed the figure.

His form misted and dispersed as she flew through the space it once occupied. She then whipped around and blasted the reforming head behind her. "Gah!" It yelled as it dispersed again. "Damned wretch!" Once he reformed again his expression was of solid anger as he glared her down. "Those powers of yours are indeed strong, but do not think for a moment I shall be allowing myself to lose this battle! I spent days whittling away this hybrid's strength until he finally submitted and I shall not allow that effort to be wasted!" The mist then glowed brighter as it thickened and surrounded the sorceress. "You shall fall!"

Her eyes widened as the mist fell over her like smoke. Breathing suddenly became impossible as the mist thickened even more and she felt her vision blurring. "Now you understand, girl, you had no chance of saving him, and now you shall submit as well!" She heard him laugh. "I must say though, you were much easier than the Halfling. Even though it took so long, I have to admit I would be lying if I didn't enjoy breaking him. I had to throw dozens of my servants at him before I got anywhere. It was nothing if not entertaining to watch him struggle in his weakened a deprived state for control."

'He tortured him!' Raven shouted in her thoughts. 'He tortured him for days!' That thought echoed out of her and even became audible to Faust as her energy built up around her. The mist that was slowly draining her strength was pushed away as her eyes and fists glowed in anger. "You will pay!" She stated as her figure started to morph. The white glow in her eyes turned red as another pair of eyes formed above them.

Faust's bravado started to crumble as Raven's figure expanded and twisted. Fear seemed to creep onto his misty features as Raven glared down at him. "Just what… DEMON!" He shouted as he called forth his mist again. He did all he could to keep her at bay as she encroached on his position.

"YOU WILL PAY!" She shouted again as she began to gain more ground.

"Now that's more like it!" A voice came from behind. It was the reverse Danny who now floated beside the demonized Raven with an evil smirk on his face. "This, I can work with." His features then began to change as well as he grew in size. His hair became a white flame, his skin a pale blue, and his suit changed as well into a recognizable one of Danny's own past. He then let out a dark laugh. "Now its time for me to finally have some fun." He then dashed at the misty head with fiendish delight and lit up his palms with a violent energy.

Faust didn't know how to react to the new force coming at him. None of Danny's earlier aspects were this strong and even this one stood no chance before now. "What is this!?" He shouted as he was forced back even further.

Danny laughed darkly at him. "What's it matter? You will not exist long enough to understand." He then blasted the mist along with Raven and watched as it slowly dispersed and thinned. He then moved his attention to the red chains and blasted each and every one of them to pieces. He seemed satisfied as the last one crumbled and the still sleeping Danny flopped down to an unseen surface.

Raven, who had by now reverted to her previous state, rushed over to him in obvious concern. "Danny!" The aspect watched in mild agitation as the sleeping Danny started to stir.

"It's over. You should get out of here before he actually wakes up." He stated, and as she turned to him his form fell back to the reverse colored Danny. He then pointed just behind her to yet another door and this one was the same as the one they had entered. He then floated up and away from her; his piercing red eyes never leaving her form. He found his way back to the entrance to be met with several different colored Aspects of Danny.

The Grey Danny addressed him with a question on his lips. "I'm surprised. You could have used that situation to take control."

The reverse Danny scowled at him while crossing his arms. "Yeah, I could have, but I didn't."

"Because Raven would be sad if you did that, right?" The red Aspect asked while really voicing his own thoughts on it.

"Hmph. As if. Its simple, lover boy, that spell was at the top of my hate list and Raven is at the bottom." He then dispersed with all but the Grey Aspect who turned towards the door.

"Well, that was unexpected. I thought for sure when the other appeared on this side that he would go berserk." He crossed his arms with a sigh. "I guess some things just can't be guessed. Still, she needs to clear the air more before any further progress can be made."

* * *

Back in Raven's room both Robin and Bones watched as Danny was coated in Raven's magic aura and despite his struggling, he remained contained. The brilliant red glow from his eyes soon started to fade to green as his wide eyes began to close. The energy then abruptly vanished leaving a more than exhausted Danny behind as a strange red mist evaporated from him. Raven dropped her arms as her white eyes returned to their natural state and she slowly floated to the ground. Robin came over quickly to see she was mentally strained from her ordeal. "Raven! Are you okay? Did you break the spell?"

She took a breath as she stood with the boy wonder's assistance. "Yes….. It's gone." She then moved to the circle and pushed away one of the stones lining the rim. No longer being held in place by the spell, Danny fell sideways to the floor in his bindings. She kneeled beside him with Robin just behind her and rolled him onto his back.

He stirred slightly at her touch and mumbled. "Raven….." He quickly lost grip of the little consciousness he had and passed out. With his last vestiges of will exhausted, the bright morph ring appeared around his waist and separated, leaving his human appearance in its wake.

Robin's eyes widened in recognition as he took in the familiar appearance of the teen. "Is that…"

Raven nodded before he could answer. "Yes he is. This is what he really looks like…. His human half." With that one statement all of Danny's strange tendencies suddenly made sense and that strange name too. The halfa, was half ghost and half human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so that's how I decided to do the ever popular enter the halfa's mind bit. I was always a big fan of the episode 'Nevermore' from TT season 1 so doing this was pretty fun. I also planned for Robin to see Danny change, its an important bit of info for the two's relationship. I also do not plan to make this known to any of the other Titans so please don't ask about it. I'd really like some feed back on how I did with this chapter, please, if you have the time.  
> The Danny aspects are as follows:
> 
> Yellow - Fear
> 
> Orange - Happy
> 
> Red - Love (I could not resist doing that scene with Raven and Red Danny!=^-^=)
> 
> Grey - Subconscious (Not a true aspect)
> 
> Reverse - Hate
> 
> Green - Brave
> 
> No other colors become relevant so I won't assign them. They are not the same as Raven's btw.=^-^=


	28. Destiny Knot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny wakes up after his time as a puppet with very little memory of the event. He's frustrated, but is told Raven might have a way to prevent it from happening again.

Danny, who had spent a little over a day in bed, was finally stirring at the semi late hours of mid-morning. He reached one tired arm over his face in an attempt to block out the light and extend his slumber, but a few fleeting thoughts stopped his attempts. He slowly removed his arm and peeked his eyes open to stare bleary eyed at the familiar ceiling of his room. "Dream….? More like a nightmare…" He then shut his eyes again and rolled over on his side fully intent on starting his morning easy.

As he rested his left arm on the bed next to him he found something strange in the way. Instead of falling flat on the mattress it seemed to instead lay over something else. "Huh…?" Danny let out in a slight grumble and reopened his eyes despite his still groggy state. At first he thought he was just seeing things, but a few blinks and a long eye rub later revealed his eyes to be true. "Raven…?" He questioned under his breath as he pushed himself up on his right elbow.

The sorceress was there beside him, and of all places, on his bed though she laid over the covers at the edge. She seemed to be facing away from him and so he decided to sit up a bit and look to make absolutely sure that was her. "Yup." He stated to himself bluntly. "But what is she doing on my bed?" He asked himself as he scratched the back of his head. His wonderings spawned a bright blush as he turned away from her on impulse. "Damn it…. Now is not the time for that." He said to himself in a reprimanding tone before noticing that he was still wearing his normal clothes. He normally changed into his pajamas before going to bed so this was definitely something to red flag. He pulled at his shirt as he raised a brow. "Okay, now I'm really curious…. What's going on?"

"Well, I was hoping to sleep. Aside from that I don't believe there are any goings on." Danny heard in a familiar cranky voice. He turned to see Bones as he stretched his head up from his current feline body. "It's not really fair that you sleep for over a day while I stay up half the night with little miss snippy here."

Danny gave him a frown for the unappealing nickname he'd given his girlfriend. Then a bit of confusion washed over his face as he turned to the sleeping Raven again. "So, do you know why she's on my bed….. with me?" The halfa asked with a pinkish tinge to his face.

"Oh her, yes I put her there. The position she'd initially fallen asleep in, leaning over the side of the bed, just looked a tad uncomfortable. There was no way I was dealing with the consequences of that when she woke up." Scott replied as he sat while looking a tad irritated at the girl.

"Why was she sleeping there?" Danny was growing more and more confused by the minute. What had happened while he was sleeping… unless….. those images, they weren't a dream? He suddenly delved into his thoughts as he tried to find those fleeting fragments of memories which he'd seen in his dreams. "Wait….. I was…."

Scott gave a sympathetic nod. "I'm afraid so, he turned you into little more than a marionette, but you're free now." He tried to encourage while still keeping his smug like tone. "No real harm done…. Heh…."

Danny's expression turned serious as he took a deep breath. "How long?" Scott appeared, as surprising as it seems, lost for words. He fiddled with his paws a bit as he searched for an easy way to tell him. Even though he often voiced his irritation towards the halfa, he still didn't want to hurt him. "Long enough I guess…" Danny finally answered himself as he turned back to Raven.

He raised his hand to his head with an angry expression. "Damn it!... Why can't I remember?" He then raised his other hand to his head in frustration. "I know it was bad…. I know I saw something but….. it's all a blurr!" The little fragments from his dream weren't enough to tell him anything. What irritated him the most, however, was the fragment he remembered the clearest. It was of his captor as he grinned at him smugly. Several other memories flashed through his mind and every one of them were of that man which only made him more frustrated. "That….. damn it!" He lowered his hands to his lap as he tried to regain control of his breathing.

Bones could see his frustration mounting and attempted, in his own way, to subdue it. "Now, now, having a tantrum won't help. If you intend to do anything about your problems I suggest you start by acting your age."

Danny gave him an angry pointed look as he clenched his fists together. If Bones was scared, he did a good job of hiding it as he crossed his paws with a glare. The glaring match that ensued was only broken by the stirring of the relatively forgotten third party. "Crap….." Danny mumbled as he turned to her in guilt. All of his yelling is probably what woke her up.

"See here? The consequences of your actions?" Bones pointed out with a smirk. Danny gave him a quick glare before scooting back on his bed and allowing the sleepy Raven to sit up. As she sat on her legs she pushed some of her hair behind her ear. Scott pranced over with his face dripping in sarcasm and addressed her. "Well hello, Sunshine, still feeling cranky?" He had his paws clasped together and held up to his face in false caring. Raven immediately turned his way and no sooner did her eyes fall on him did he go flying across the room to slam into the door.

Danny tried to stifle a laugh at the comedic scene he knew was coming which quickly got the sorceress' attention. She froze a moment as Danny's laughter faded. "Rav-" He didn't even get the chance to finish as she wrapped her arms around him. Several slivers of her energy leaked out around her causing things to fall over left and right. Despite the mess, however, Danny found himself apologizing as he placed his arms around her. "I'm sorry, Raven….. I…"

"Shut up." She immediately responded before initiating a kiss that left Danny helpless. Needless to say, it surprised him since he'd been the one to initiate them before. She then lowered her head and gave a breath of relief as she leaned her head against his chest. "It's you…."

Danny raised a brow but quickly understood. She had probably been worried all night especially taking into account what Bones had said. "Yeah….. its me."

* * *

Later that day Robin entered into the infirmary to find Danielle sleeping soundly while Terra leaned over a chair back, asleep as well. The younger halfa seemed to be doing well enough after Raven gave her a once over. She didn't look to be hurt much at all by the time the morning came. He approached quietly and crossed his arms while looking down at her. A brief silence fell before the boy wonder finally spoke. "She's alright you know." He didn't get an immediate response and so he continued. "Raven told me you'd be here."

He heard a lite breath before Danny popped into the visual spectrum floating just over the edge of the bed. He nodded as he looked over his cousin with guilt streaming over his face. "I know…. But still… how could I?"

Robin quickly placed a hand on the halfa's shoulder. "It's not your fault, Danny, you couldn't fully control your actions."

Danny turned to him with an angry expression. "That's no excuse!" He immediately retracted his anger at seeing the surprise in Robin's eyes. "Sorry…." He turned away and dropped his hands to his lap. "Control or not, I should have never attacked her."

"From what I could tell, you attacking her, saved her."

Danny turned to him with a brow raised. "What?"

Robin gave a nod. Raven had told him earlier of Danny's instant reaction when she told him about how he'd attacked her; She apparently hadn't had a chance to tell him the whole story. "According to Scott, you knocking her out so quickly is what kept her from falling under the same spell as you. He'd already warned her about what would happen if either of them accidentally caught sight of the orb." He then turned to Dani. "As far as I can tell, if you hadn't attacked her, Faust would have a new puppet." He then turned up to him with a smile. "You did what you could, and I think that's what matters here."

Danny gave a sad smile as he looked over Dani. "Thanks…." He seemed a bit relieved but at the same time, still guilt ridden.

"By the way, in case Raven didn't tell you, I saw you change."

Danny gave a nod. "Yeah, she told me that."

Robin turned to him in curiosity. "Why didn't you tell anyone you were half human? You should know it wouldn't change how we feel about you."

Danny looked up at the ceiling a moment before turning to the curious Titan. "I guess that could be why? I already knew it wouldn't change anything. You all seemed to forget I was a ghost most of the time anyway." He then looked down at his hands. "It's just something I don't like to tell people. I've never actually come out and told anyone. Those who know, found out themselves like Raven, and you... Maybe I was trying to avoid the awkward "How can you be half dead?" conversation since I don't even fully understand it." Danny turned back to him to see how he had taken it.

The boy wonder appeared understanding over all as he gave him a smile. "It's no problem, Phantom. Everyone keeps secrets, and this one's yours to tell."

He took it better than Danny had initially thought causing the halfa to choke out a lite laugh. "I appreciate that, Robin, I really do."

Robin nodded before his features grew serious. "Anyway, Raven wanted me to send you her way. We still need to take care of Faust before he regroups."

Danny took a good look around the room though it didn't seem as though he was really looking. "There was supposed to be a horde of ghosts outside right?"

"Yeah." Robin confirmed. "Though they apparently vanished after Raven broke you from the spell's control. He probably just fell back to regain strength after fighting Raven with the spell. We can only guess at when he'll attack again."

Danny gave a sigh and nodded. "Yeah but how can I fight a guy with that kind of control? I'll just get caught in the spell again…" Danny lowered his head and leaned it on his palm.

"That's why you need to go see Raven. She thinks she has a way to block the spell."

Danny turned to him in surprise. "Really?!"

He nodded in response. "Yeah, she and that Minos ghost talked about it when they were preparing to break the spell before."

Danny seemed confused at the mention of the strange ghost but pushed it aside as he floated to the ground. "Then I'm not going to waste any time." He paused a moment as he passed him. "I'm not going to let that guy have his way this time." He stated with a determined expression, and then he flew through the door.

* * *

Danny walked through the hallway leading towards Raven's room and ran into Cyborg along the way. The older titan was surprised to see him as he raised his hand in a wave. "Hey, man….. you doin okay?" Danny gave a nod but didn't say anything due to the awkward air around them.

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously before turning his attention fully towards the metal man. "I… uh, I'm sorry if I attacked you or-"

"Don't worry, man its cool. Evil mind control is definitely a valid excuse in my book." He said as he cut the halfa off. "Just don't let it happen again." He added in with a playful expression as he crossed his arms.

"Are you kidding? That's not even going to be a possibility." Danny returned in an equally playful yet determined manner. "By the way, do you know if Raven's in her room? Robin said she wanted to see me about something."

Cyborg turned his head and gestured behind him. "Yeah, she's in there alright. I could hear her and that Minos guy arguing about something."

Now Danny's interest was piqued. Just who was this Minos guy his friends keep mentioning? "Who?"

Cyborg turned back to him with an understanding expression. "Oh right, you were…. Well he's this weird ghost that's been giving us information. Raven made some kind of information deal with him." He then raised a finger in warning. "I'd be careful around him though, he sent Kid Flash and Jinx back to Colorado with a snap of his fingers." Danny raised a brow as Cyborg continued down the hall past him. "The guy is also a big jerk." He added in as he continued on towards the main room.

Danny scratched his head and then turned towards Raven's room again. "Okay…. Now I feel like I really missed out on something big." Upon reaching the Sorceress' room, his intuition proved true as he heard the voices from within. He couldn't quite make out what they were saying but it didn't sound good. He tried knocking on the door, but no one seemed to hear and so he simply phased in.

"It's so simple, why are you being so stubborn!?" Minos demanded from his book which sat atop a small table.

"I already told you no!" Raven spat back as she flipped through one of her old texts. "I'll just find another way."

Minos snorted and crossed his arms. "I don't understand you, magic users have enthralled ghosts since before recorded history. Why is it so hard for you? You even have an advantage since his will is weakened."

Raven raised her hand towards him, aglow with magic, but froze once she spotted Danny. He was nervous because he'd interrupted them and slightly confused considering their conversation may have been about him. "Uh…. I knocked but…."

Minos scoffed. "Well it's now or never, girl." Raven waved her hand and forced the book closed causing Minos to vaporize back into it.

Danny watched curiously as she glared at the book a good while before turning back towards him. "Are you okay, Raven?"

She sighed and shook her head. "No…." She turned another page in her book. "I've been trying to find a way to shield you from that orb's power, but I haven't found anything yet."

Danny raised a brow. "But Robin told me you and that other ghost had something."

She glared back over to the book for a second before closing the one in her hands. "It was a dead end."

As she stood up the Chronicler tome snapped open on the table loudly. "A foolish end you mean!" Shouted Minos as he smoked back out of the book. "It is a perfect solution you stubborn wretch!" He growled angrily as he pointed in her direction.

The irate ghost was surprised when the one to respond wasn't Raven but Danny. He couldn't be sure of why they were fighting just yet but he wasn't about to let the ghost continue like this. He swiftly grabbed the ghost by his wrist and lit his hand with ecto-energy. "Back off!" The halfa growled out as he narrowed his eyes. "I don't care what it is, but if Raven doesn't want to do something, then it's probably for a good reason." He then let go and Minos retracted it quickly. Danny then stood between Raven and the ghost with a stern expression. "Evidently you two have some kind of agreement, so I get that Raven won't do anything, but that doesn't mean I won't; especially if you insult her. She said no, so move on."

Minos, still in a bit of surprise, raised a brow at the boy. "Quite surprising that you would be so forward at such a time when your powers are so weakened."

Danny crossed his arms. "Weak but not gone. I'm more than capable of keeping you in line."

The specter raised a hand to his chin as he looked onto the halfa in curiosity. "Confident aren't we?" He mused as he floated over to the agitated teen. "I must say you are a fascinating subject to have recovered so quickly regardless of any assistance allotted to you. It is either that or you are supremely foolish." He gave a shrug. "Doubtful though, you don't look that weak." He then suddenly grabbed Danny by the shoulder and turned him to the side almost knocking him over in the process.

"Hey!" Danny whined in protest, but Minos dismissed it.

"Calm yourself, boy, I am investigating." After letting him go, Danny recomposed himself as Minos gave him a scrutinizing gaze. "You…. You're a halfa aren't you?"

Danny raised a brow in bewilderment. "H-how'd you know?... Though I guess it's not much of a secret in the Ghost Zone…." He ended muttering to himself with a slightly dry expression.

Minos gave a curt nod. "I'd imagine not since halfas are such a rare occurrence. I myself found it especially fascinating when I found myself in the possession of one some 10 Earth years ago." He then gave Danny a scheming look. "No doubt Plasmius is an acquaintance?" He then waved his own question away before the boy could answer. "Well regardless, I was able to tell from your core." He stated while holding a pointed finger at the teen's chest. Danny looked down at the accusing digit in confusion. "You should at least know what that is do you not?"

"Of course I do." Danny retorted in insult.

"Good, less for me to explain." He started in a 'know it all' manner reminiscent of a certain honor student Danny knew, though without any charm to it. "You should also know that, although all ghosts are different and as such their cores are different as well, the ones found in halfas are especially unique. The energy which pulses from them, used to implement their abilities and hold their form, fluctuates at a much higher frequency. This is the most probable reason for your recovery, since the energy is keeping your physical form constantly restored. Chances are, this energy permeates even your human form." Danny seemed confused by the information as he raised up one hand to scrutinize it. Minos now wore a smirk as the boy continued to be lost. "Is this sounding familiar boy? Certainly you've noticed by now that your powers of recovery are unnatural."

Danny couldn't dispute him of course since in all honesty he didn't know. This would explain a lot though, especially with all the abuse he took from Dash. All those beatings, being shoved in lockers, hung from the flag pole….. and he never had any scars, was never really even hurt…. "Whoa…."

Minos simply laughed at the boy. "Certainly lacking in the common sense department this one, but of course one mongrel would deserve another."

His snotty comment didn't go unnoticed by either party as he received piercing glares from the couple. "Who are you calling a mongrel, Bull Boy!"

Minos was only amused by the rise he'd gotten out of Danny and smirked. "Would you rather I call you both mutts then? Regardless, this is a good thing, since now I know another way that you can be protected from the Imperious Spell."

That caught Raven and Danny by surprise as they both dropped their glares for interest. "And just what would that be?" Raven asked with mild distrust in her voice.

Minos levitated the book into the air next to himself and turned a few of the pages. "I happen to know a special kind of binding spell in which one of the effects offers the halfa protection. It's a sort of spirit binding spell you see, and it requires that both parties be influenced or neither shall. Basically, since you cannot be affected by the spell then Danny won't fall prey to it."

Raven thought it over in her mind while Danny gave him a questioning gaze. "So this is one of the effects, but what about the others? There has to be a catch."

Minos chuckled and crossed his arms. "Maybe not as stupid as I first thought, boy, you're right. You see this spell was actually used for revenge killing as it links the lives of the caster and victim. Its creator made it as a last ditch effort in destroying a rival. When he was cornered and about to die, he cast it on the other and so when the caster died so did his rival. The effects of the spell seem to synchronize those it links together. It really is quite a splendid spell, quite a shame it has had little use over the millennia, but you can see why using it on a ghost would be pointless."

Danny was immediately against the idea. "No way! That would be way too dangerous…" he then paused in thought. "But wait… if it forces effects on one to hit the other, then wouldn't Raven fall under the spell if I did?"

Minos nodded in understanding. "Sound reasoning yes, but only physical effects are linked, spells on the mind are repelled. This was done to stop an enemy from using illusory tricks on the caster in order to kill him. You see if they were killed without physical harm then the spell wouldn't have any effect." Minos then raised a hand to his chin. "Though I cannot be completely sure of how that would work considering your ghostly features, but since you are still human I would assume you are still mortal enough to die."

Danny wore a frown as he took in the reasoning and crossed his arms. "Whatever…. We're still not-"

"No." Raven interrupted. "We should do it."

Danny turned to her, ready to protest. "But, Raven, we-" She shook her head and raised a hand to him. "It's the only viable choice we have, and we don't know how much time we have."

"But-"

"You really should listen to the girl; she has more sense than you." Minos cut in. "Though if it makes you feel any better, the spell has a very big weakness which is what led to its disuse. Those who have been hit by the spell need only be aware of the spell fully and it will cease, in other words, awareness. You see this spell requires two things to actually work, the first being a strong emotion towards the victim and vice versa. Now usually this is found with hatred or anger, but the more intimate relation the two of you seem to have should work easily enough." That elicited colorful cheeks from the couple though Danny seemed more taken aback by it while Raven remained stoic.

With a smirk the ghost continued. "The second is usually the ignorance of the victim as I said before. If the victim is aware of the spell, all they have to do is mentally reject it. When that happens, the emotion shared will be interrupted or blocked out, causing the synchronization to end." He then levitated the book down by Raven so that she could see the formula for it. "It's simple and easy to do, and since you don't have to worry about missing, you'll only have to prepare it once."

The spell's set up took some time, but the true moment it was finished was marked by and outrageous yell. Cyborg and Beast Boy practically jumped off the couch when they heard the ghostly polymorph wail with displeasure. He was gone before either of them could turn back to see what was wrong and less than a minute after that he was zooming through Raven's door with a vexed expression. "Scott?" Danny questioned as he sat crossed legged across from Raven who had just finished casting.

The bony specter stood on the ground with outrage on his face and his wings spread out wide. "What is the meaning of this!?" He bellowed. "You better get explaining this instant, Phantom! This instant!" The two looked on him in confusion before Raven finally noticed the black markings littering his bones.

"What's the matter with you?" Danny asked in confusion before Raven gestured towards Scott.

"It seems the spell affected him too."

Danny scrutinized the ghost before finally noticing the markings himself. "The spell did that?" He asked as Scott flapped around in anger.

"A spell! A spell!? And you didn't tell me?!" He squawked. "That stupid seal is all over me now!" He continued complaining as he looked over himself in obvious disdain.

"To think it goes that far? Fascinating." Minos mused from his book which now sat back on the table. He snapped his fingers and a ghostly quill appeared just above the pages. "I simply must take note of this. The spell hits not only the victim, but those bound to him through energy link."

Danny looked at the ghost with a brow raised. "Oh, so that seal was from…" Realization washed over his face as he reached for the zipper of his suit. About half way down his chest and it was plain to see, the seal left by the spell. "You know….. I never really had plans for a tattoo." He started as he looked down at it. He then let out a sigh and smiled as he looked back over to Raven. "Guess you left your mark on me, huh?"

She smiled back at him with a brow raised. "That was bad."

Danny simply shrugged in response. "Had to be said. It was my obligation considering the circumstances."

"Glad to see you're not bothered by it!" Scott growled in sarcasm. "Your suit covers it up."

Danny heaved a sigh and zipped his suit back up. "Look, I didn't know it would affect you." He then grabbed the bandanna from the ghost's head. "But if it bothers you that much, here." He finished as he tied it around Scott's neck and allowed it to drape over the marred ribs of his torso. "Now no one will notice. When this whole thing's over, we'll get rid of the spell all together, you can go back with Young Blood, and never have to deal with stuff like this again." He wore a genuine smile as he crossed his arms. "Sounds good, right?"

Unknown to the halfa, however, the statement seemed to strike a sensitive nerve for Scott as he simply nodded mutely. He finally grumbled out a simple "Fine" before trotting off on his own again.

"My my, what a fascinating few days this has been. This is definitely one of my more beneficial contracts. Not only did I find some more information on the ever rare halfa species, but I also have a new addition to the cult of Scath." The ghost Minotaur seemed strangely happy as he watched the quill below him continue to record his bidding.

"Scath….. that's the thing with Trigon right? That demon that tried to end the world?" Danny asked in only partial confidence. He only had what little the other Titans had told him and that was little more than what he'd just spoken.

"Yes, they worshiped Trigon. Certainly you know all about him though, considering the relationship you have with his offspring. I myself would have never imagined such an outcome, but it is expected for strange things to happen, even miracles, as rare as they are."

Danny looked like he was about to shrug with disinterest when the comment seemed to fully register. "Offspring….. Trigon has a kid?" Minos seemed amused at the question before turning his gaze towards the quiet and now hooded Raven. "Whoa…. Wait a minute…." He started in surprise as the pieces lined up. He turned a wary glance towards Raven who was now hidden within her cloak stoically. "Trigon is your dad!?" He seemed to have a hard time believing what he himself had just asked, but Raven simply nodded quietly and turned slightly to the side.

"Interesting turn of events." Minos stated with a smirk adorning his face. He then smoked up and fell back into his book. "Though I would rather not be included in your ensuing conversation." He finished as the book snapped shut.

Danny glared at the book from the corner of his eye before reaffirming his gaze back on Raven. A somewhat awkward silence followed as both teens seemed frozen in place. After a few minutes, Danny finally brought himself to move as he took a step forward. "So you're…. a demon?"

"I'm only half demon….." Raven started rather calmly. "My mother was human." Though she answered in good time, her gaze still rested anywhere but the halfa she was talking to.

Danny raised one hand to rub the back of his neck. "Half demon huh?..." His eyes started to wander as he thought of what to say next and when they finally fell back on Raven he could have sworn he saw her shake. Raven had always been more reserved about talking about herself even to her friends. Had the incident with Trigon never happened, she has no doubt they would have never known about her connection to him. Having a jerk for a dad was already bad, but an evil, all-powerful, interdimensional demon? That was many times worse and for many more reasons. Most people would instantly see her as a monster, but her friends didn't seem to mind and Danny… Danny… wouldn't… right? She found her gaze slowly shifting towards the ground as Danny continued to remain silent and she couldn't help thinking of all the worst ways this could end.

"Raven." She visibly twitched when she felt the hand on her shoulder. She slowly turned her head to find Danny wearing a confused expression. "What's wrong….?" He asked with genuine concern. It was rare to see Raven so upset….. did she want it to be kept a secret from him that badly?

"I…." She trailed off, unable to find the words.

Before she knew it Danny turned her around to face him and he reached up to her hood to push it down. "It's alright, Raven." He started with an understanding expression. He untucked her hair from the hood as he set it down. "I mean, what right do I have to be mad? I'm half ghost…. Though I guess half demon sorceress does beat that in creepiness…." He added in a sort of side note before moving his gaze to look her in the eyes. "If anything, I should be mad that you never came out and told me, but at the same time, I know you don't like to talk about yourself much; neither do I."

His expression then seemed to shift towards childish anger as he gestured to the Chronicler's book. "But why does nose ring over there get to find out before me? That is so unfair! I mean how long have we been dating? And you've known this guy what? A few days maybe?" He finished with his arms crossed.

"They were his terms."

Danny raised a brow. "What? For the contract?" He took a glance back at the book. "That's a pretty weird asking price if you ask me. I mean, who goes around asking for a family tree from someone he just met?" He then turned back to Raven who looked disheartened and uncrossed his arms. "Come on, Raven, its fine." He said as he pulled her closer to himself. "While finding out my girlfriend is half demon is surprising…. Downright shocking actually." He added in needlessly. "What kind of guy do you take me for if you think that would change anything?" He lifted her chin slightly. "If anything, that's what I should be mad about. You shouldn't be so insecure about it." He then gave her a lite kiss on the forehead as he wrapped his arms around her in a hug.

He could hear her sigh of relief as she returned the gesture. "Danny I-"

She was cut off when Danny jerked her down with him to flop down halfway on the bed. "Are so making this up to me? Sounds fair-" He stopped right there as condensation formed in his breath.

He rolled his eyes with a grumble as he released Raven and she stood up and rubbed her arms. "What was that?"

Danny sat up and took a good look around. "There must be a ghost nearby. That was my ghost sense…." He then scratched his head a bit. "But for some reason I can't figure out which direction its in." He then noticed Raven rubbing her arms as she looked around herself. "Are you okay?"

She gave a nod. "I just felt cold all of a sudden."

Danny looked confused by that. "You felt that?... Oh right that spell." Their conversation was then cut off as the tower alarm sounded. "Looks like it's time for round two."

* * *

Cyborg was at the surveillance com as Robin approached from behind. "Is it him?"

Cyborg continued a moment before responding. "I don't think so…. There seems to only be one signal." He pulled up a radar screen showing a red dot just outside the tower. It then changed to a side view showing the ghost's position several meters from the front door.

"Tell me that creepy guy isn't back again." Beast Boy grumbled as he ran into the room.

Cyborg turned his head slightly. "You might be in luck, BB." The changeling raised a brow in response as he stopped just behind the couch and looked at the screen.

Robin took out his communicator and hailed Starfire. "Star, what's your position?"

"I am at the door."

"Good, stay there until we get a better idea of what we're dealing with."

"Then I shall wait." She responded as the screen blinked out.

Raven then entered and levitated to a spot near Beast Boy. "Hey, Raven, looks like we got lucky this time. Only one of 'em came back." He almost sang as he pointed to the screen. He then looked around. "So Danny's not with you?"

She shook her head. "He sensed a ghost and went to find it."

Robin, having heard their conversation, immediately hailed him on his communicator. "Phantom, its outside the front door."

Danny responded in slight surprise. "Oh, thanks. For some reason I'm just having a hard time homing in with my ghost sense." He ended the call and immediately moved down to the ground floor. He spotted Starfire as he phased through the ceiling and called out. "Hey, Starfire."

She looked up and looked happy to see him. "Oh, Phantom, I am most relieved to see you are alright."

Danny nodded. "You and me both." He then turned to face the door. "I'm going to see what kind of ghost we're dealing with." He said as he pointed to the door. Starfire nodded and flew just behind him. As he approached the door he made himself intangible and phased his head through. After a moment of waiting she saw him leave the tower completely without warning.

She immediately opened the door to see for herself and saw Danny just outside the shield and he looked to be helping the ghost. She flew over to them with her guard up and saw Danny helping the yeti like ghost out of the water which seemed to have several chunks of ice floating in it. When the halfa noticed his teammate he called out. "Hey, Starfire, think you can give me a hand?"

The Tameranean was more than a little confused as her guard slowly fell. "A hand?" Danny grunted as he helped the woolly ghost take a seat against some rocks. "Yeah….." He finished and let out a breath from the strain. "You're a lot heavier than you look."

The ghost let out a weak laugh. "Your help is most welcome, Great One. I fear I could go no further on my own strength." The FarFrozen then laid back and closed his eyes to rest a moment.

Danny then turned to Starfire. "He's a friend of mine, and I'm going to need your help to get him inside."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So fluff, and weird explanations. Hoping it made sense and you enjoyed! If it didn't well... you could ask? Or obnoxiously point it out. Which ever strikes your fancy really.=^-^=


	29. Heated Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team locates the villain and finds things could be worse now than before.

Needless to say, when Danny and Starfire came up to the main room with a large yeti like creature, there were more than a few surprised expressions. Raven, who already knew what he was, was even surprised due his disheveled state. "Dude!" The changeling shouted as he laid eyes on the ghost.

"Who is that?" Robin inquired as he approached the two Titans after they set the FarFrozen down.

Danny was looking him over as he answered. "This is Polar, and he's a friend of mine. He went missing awhile ago."

"He must be one of the ghosts that Faust guy pulled into his creepy army." Cyborg concluded.

"More than likely." Robin agreed as he crossed his arms. "But how did he get free?"

Danny gave a shrug. "Heck if I know, but however he got free, it looks like it took its toll." He then gestured to Polar. "He looks pretty beat up."

"Scary you mean…" Beast Boy observed as he snooped over the ghost. He then noticed something tied to the specter's waist band and reached over for it. "Oh? Now what's this?" The minute he touched it, Polar snapped to life with a vicious yell.

"You shall not have this you foul mystic!" He dove at the titan who stumbled back in response.

"Whoa!?" Although Polar was able to begin his assault, his legs soon failed him as he collapsed.

"Polar!" Danny shouted as he dashed over to him.

"You sure you two are friends?" Beast Boy asked in a shaky voice as he sat back in fright.

Danny kneeled down in front of him. "Polar?"

The FarFrozen struggled to push himself up as he growled. "I will….. stop you with all I have!"

Danny grabbed him by the horns to hold him back. "Polaris! Snap out of it!"

The FarFrozen gave a pause as he adjusted his vision. "Wh…. What?" His eyes widened as he realized what he was doing. "Oh!" He then took a good look around as he held himself up on his claws. "My apologies, Great One. It seems I had forgotten where I was." He wore a sheepish expression as he rubbed the back of his head. He then pushed himself up and sat down properly with a slight lean due to his injuries. "I also apologize to your companion." He started as clapped his hands together and bowed his head. "You are unharmed?" He asked Beast Boy with an apologetic tone.

The titan gave a nod as he stood up. "No problem, dude." He responded as he rubbed the back of his head. "I shouldn't have been messing with your stuff… he he…"

Polar then seemed to realize something as he reached for the scroll on his belt. "Oh! That is right." He pulled it off and handed it to Danny. "You must take this, Great One. In my current state, I can no longer keep it safe."

Danny went wide eyed as the FarFrozen placed the Infi-map in his hands. "Oh man!" He berated as he slapped his forehead. "I can't believe I forgot about this."

Polar gave an understanding nod. "It is alright. I do not think he had ever been aware of what he held before I was able to retrieve it. He was far more preoccupied with the others."

"Others?" Robin questioned. "The other ghosts?"

Polar gave a serious nod. "Yes. For whatever reason, it seems the spell he had used to control us was broken, or at the very least, interrupted. Many of those who he had enthralled fled once their wills were regained while others attacked in revenge. It was in that confusion that Hailfall and I had found the map amongst his possessions and made haste to retrieve it." He then seemed to sadden. "It seems I was the only one who had made it out in the end."

"What happened?" Danny asked.

"You said the spell was broken." Cyborg added in.

Polar gave a nod and became serious once again. "Yes, but then the human changed. Into what, I do not know, but it was monstrous…. Evil…" He finished with terror in his eyes.

"What did he do? Grow an extra head? Maybe morph into a mutant snake thing?" Beast Boy asked as he attempted to mimic his suggestions with his powers.

Polar raised a brow at the scene before turning back to Danny. "No, this change was not of his appearance, but of him. It was as if he was a completely different creature all together. The moment I felt that change I knew my only recourse was to flee. Such a coward am I!" He reprimanded as he slammed his fist to the ground. "I could do no more than run like a child!"

"Calm down, Polar." Danny encouraged. "It's alright, I understand."

The FarFrozen relented in his anger and appeared to calm. "For your understanding, I am most grateful…. I only wish I could have done more."

"You might still be able to." Robin noted as he moved over to the computer console. "Do you know where you were being held?" The FarFrozen simply nodded to the young leader.

Danny then placed a hand on his shoulder. "You've done plenty."

* * *

It was just past dusk when a green falcon flew over an old dock side warehouse. He seemed to circle it a few times before retreating back several blocks. "What have you got, Beast Boy?" Robin asked as his teammate regained a human form. "It's deserted, at least I think it is. Just being over there gave me the creeps though."

"I guarantee it's not." Danny started as he glared it the building's direction. "My ghost sense is going crazy." He informed as another puff of cold air surfaced from his throat. "Besides, this is just the kind of cliché hideout for a creep like him."

"Definitely." Cyborg confirmed as he looked over his arm computer. "I'm getting some really weird energy readings from over there."

Robin turned and motioned to his team. "Alright then, let's move out. Stay out of sight until we see Faust." They gave their silent acknowledgement as they followed close behind.

Danny took flight invisibly along with Starfire, Raven and Beast Boy. "This is weird." The halfa commented to himself.

"Weird wasn't the word I had in mind." Bones responded with sarcasm. He then followed Danny who flew down to one of the windows at the top.

"Look. It's like Beast Boy said, deserted, but my ghost sense won't stop going off."

Bones was invisible so his shrug was pointless. "You've got me then. Perhaps this sense of yours is wrong?"

Danny raised a brow in slight annoyance. Sure ghosts have hidden from his ghost sense, but it's never gone off without a ghost before. "Let's just take a look." He suggested as they both phased inside. Just like they saw above, the building was empty. It didn't even look like anyone had been there recently either.

"Think that Polar guy messed up his directions?" Asked Beast Boy as he went from a rat to his normal form.

"I guess? But that still doesn't explain-" He was cut off by his communicator ringing.

"Yo, I think I found something." Cyborg informed. "Meet me outside at the west side of the building." The three of them proceeded there where their comrades were waiting. "Check it out." Cyborg started as he pushed the dumpster aside. There were a set of doors on the ground which seemed to be for some kind of basement. "The building here must be cover."

"Then we need to go down to find him." Robin added in as he lifted one of the doors and Cyborg grabbed the other. They let them down easy to cause less noise before proceeding down with Cyborg lighting the way.

"This place is most disturbing." Starfire remarked as she examined the slime covered walls with the light from her starbolt.

"Gross you mean." Beast Boy corrected as he snubbed his nose at the green goo. "What is this?"

"It's ectoplasm." Danny responded with an angry expression. "Normally it has a glow, but this stuff must've been here awhile for it to have faded to nothing." Beast Boy looked even more disgusted by the revelation while Starfire seemed more sad.

They found their way to the bottom of the stairs where a feint light could be seen through cracked doors. "Alright, Titans." Robin started as he dashed silently towards the opening. He peeked in to see several creatures strewn around the room, but he quickly found the human he was looking for.

He was standing near the corner and had one of the spectral creatures by the throat. "Now its your turn." He informed the ghost with an evil smirk. He then shoved his left hand, which bore some strange claw like device, into the ghost. A grotesque scream followed before the ghost began to evaporate in his hand. A small bright ball could be seen in his clawed hand before he clutched his fingers and it's glow vanished. "As weak as the others.." He grumbled.

Just outside the door Robin held up his hand. "We've got'em. Titans GO!" The squad burst through the doors in fighting form. "Alright, Faust, it ends here!"

He turned to them in mild interest. "Oh, it's the brats. Well, its seems you've found me." He didn't appear to really care at all as he looked them over with a slightly raised brow. It was then that his eyes fell on Danny and he found his interest peaked. "Oh, if it isn't the Phantom." He gave a lite laugh. "Perhaps you can supply the energy I require?" He then gestured to the puddles of ectoplasm at his feet that started to fade from green to gray. "These other ghosts just don't seem to have much to offer. Quite worthless creatures."

"I'm not giving you anything!" He shouted back with his hands lit up with a burning ectoplasm.

Faust laughed as he flashed a devious smile. "Ah, but I'm not asking you for anything. I plan to take it! Verbindlich!" At his command, chains erupted from the ground to bind the Titans in their tracks. "You'll find it won't be so easy to resist me." He started with an amused tone. He then began his approach towards the halfa while adjusting his gauntlet. "I don't take kindly to rejection." Danny struggled against the chains as the villain approached but couldn't seem to get lose.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven cried out and with a dark light, the chains shattered.

Danny took his chance and blasted towards the sinister man with his ghost ray. "I don't take kindly to creeps so there!"

The man didn't seem to be bothered by the attack as he dusted himself off. "Surely you can do better?"

"How about this!" Cyborg shouted as he blasted him with his sonic cannon. All eyes widened when he made himself intangible to evade it.

Danny couldn't believe what he was seeing as he floated back. "Wh….what? But you weren't…. you were human!"

Faust nodded. "Yes, but that was centuries ago. Of course this is a human body that I….. annexed by means of possession. The ignorant fool you knew, my descendant, is no longer your problem." He then pulled out the Imperious orb which was used to enthrall the ghosts, but it was covered in cracks. "He couldn't even complete a new Orb. He is honestly a disappointment to the name Faust." Danny narrowed his eyes at the resentful object. "Had he succeeded, this whole human city would be a hell of nightmares." He then tossed it aside and it shattered on the ground. "It is now no more powerful than the ghosts who sit as puddles in this room." He then raised up his clawed hand. "Though they do make good distractions. Steigen mein Knecht!" Whatever green that was left in the ectoplasm faded as it evaporated to a grey smoke. The forms of several wraiths quickly took shape and the specters screeched with new life.

Bones could feel a shudder of disgust run down his spine at the sight. This sentiment was no doubt shared by the others as they watched the horrendous scene. "Dude! This guy gives creeps a bad name." The changeling stated in in disgust.

"Then maybe we should teach him a lesson!" Cyborg quickly changed his sonic cannon to his ecto cannon and readied to fire again.

"Then let me go first!" Bones charged in out of nowhere. He was angry and uncharacteristically motivated to charge the man as he took the form of a bull.

"Scott!" Danny tried to call him back but the ghost didn't listen. The wraiths reacted to the assault by diving for him but they were quickly thwarted by Starfire and Danny. The melee grew chaotic soon after as the Titans started to chip away at the Wraiths while Scott tried to mow the man down with his horns.

To his own dismay, however, he was being held off by only one hand while the twisted man laughed. "Oh, you are so misguided. You are even more useless then these others without any energy of your own." He then tossed him aside and the skeletal bull slammed against the wall. He let out a groan as he stumbled to his feet and shook his head free of the stars he was now seeing. The boy wonder was next as he tossed a special bird-a-rang towards him. The light flashed on its approach but it was unfortunately thwarted by the specter. "Abstoßen!" It exploded upon impact with an invisible field. The new visual cover gave Robin a good chance to follow up with his bo-staff and surprise Faust. "Child!" He yelled in outrage as he grabbed the offending weapon just after its contact with his shoulder.

He pushed back the teen who looked ready to retaliate before he was grabbed from behind. Robin now found himself in a sleeper hold much to his own dismay. "What the-"

"It's about time!" Faust shouted at the creature behind the Titan.

The Flizard, who now held Robin, bowed his head slightly. "My apologies, Master, but it was harder to locate than previously expected. You can expect it to be in your possession very soon."

Faust didn't seem too pleased but he gave a wave in acceptance. "See that it is."

"Robin!" Starfire interrupted once she saw her boyfriend's position. She barreled at them with rage.

The Flizard responded with a twisted grin as he re-positioned the teen rather suddenly before tossing him towards the Tameranian. "Yours I presume!" He said with a laugh.

"Flizard!" Faust called with a commanding tone. He then gestured to Danny as he blasted wraiths away from Scott. "I want that one. Take care of the others."

The Flizard bowed his head. "Of course, Master, as you wish." He then pulled what appeared to be a black carved horn from his waist. One blow and he dashed for the halfa swiftly.

"What was that?" Beast Boy questioned as he landed at Cyborg's side.

The metal man gave a shrug as he blasted a wraith. "I don't know, but we have better things to worry about, BB!" His eyes soon widened, however, when a fierce fiery lizard jumped into his cannon's sight. He lifted his head and soon realized the room was quickly filling up with them. The Wraiths, who were causing them trouble before, suddenly fell to the wayside as each Titan found themselves now contending with two or more of the nasty ghosts.

As the fight commenced, no one seemed able to keep track of each other as their ghostly assailants held their interest. It was no surprise then, when a certain halfa, seemed to melt away from the battle after being grabbed from behind. He was phased up through the ceiling by the two Flizards he'd been fighting. They tried to hold him once they were through, but Danny wasn't about to make it easy for them. His ghostly aura flared blue as ice formed on the ghost's arms. Screeches of pain ensued as they stepped back from the halfa. "Damn! I forgot about his ice core."

"Oh did you?" Danny quipped as he held up his glowing blue hands. "Too bad." He tried to blast them, but they were wary of him now. They kept their distance while still staying close enough to attack should they get their chance. This continued on for an immeasurable amount of time. Danny couldn't really tell. All he knew was that he was getting tired of it. They may not have been able to get many hits in but neither could he and that made it a fight of endurance. Who could keep up longer? Who would slip up first? The odds were against him at two to one as he thought over a way to break the stalemate. He had been so drawn in by their defensive tactics that when they both dashed for him head on, he almost didn't make it in time to block. He easily sent them back, however, with a large blast of ice energy. "Nice try, but not good enough!"

"Is it?" He heard out of nowhere. He turned just in time to be grabbed by the throat. He reflexively grabbed at the arm before him in retaliation. "You see, I think they did a sufficient job of wearing you down and keeping you busy." Faust then squeezed tighter around Danny's throat. "I just needed a few minutes to prepare. Begeistern!" He shouted as he waved the clawed hand before Danny's eyes.

Aside from the short blinding light, Danny couldn't really complain about the gesture. He winced as he gripped at the hand on his throat. "W-what was that? You mess up your magic trick?" He quickly found himself gagging as Faust tightened his grip.

With a growl he looked at his gauntlet and then towards the boy. "Perhaps I underestimated your will half breed…" He then paused a moment before smirking at the boy. "Or perhaps not. That Sorceress is behind this." He stated as he tapped a claw on the teen's chest. "Smart." The gauntlet then started to glow with energy as Faust continued. "But pointless. I knew control over you would be a wasted effort, but now you get to be fully aware as I tear out your core. I can tell you now, it is an excruciatingly painful process."

Danny grunted in his grasp. "What is wrong with you!? You're a ghost aren't you?"

Faust raised a brow. "Your point?"

"How could you just destroy all those other ghosts? I know you're supposed to be evil, but doesn't it bother you even a little?" Danny was desperate now, as he tried to hold off Faust's promise with a distracting conversation.

"Bother me?" He seemed to actually think about it before giving a shrug. "Not at all. Ghosts are simply ghosts after all. Even if they appear to be a child, they are monsters fit to come to my beck and call. The fact that I am now a ghost myself makes no difference." There wasn't an ounce of hesitance in his voice and despite the fact that he expected it, Danny was scared by that. He'd fought dozens of ghosts, but none of them had ever sounded so absolute before…. Except for maybe Pariah Dark. Even Plasmius had limits to how far he would go despite any ulterior motive behind it.

Danny couldn't stop himself from glaring down the villain. "I see plenty of ghosts, but you're the only monster." He grunted out as he pulled at the grip of Faust's hand.

He heard a chuckle in response. "Perhaps you'll have time to take a second look before you devolve into a wraith boy. I'm not a monster, nor am I a simple ghost and once I have the crown, the only thing you or your little friends will call me is Master!" As the last of his words left his lips, he began to slowly press down his claw like fingers over the halfa's chest.

Danny reflexively gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut as he tried not to scream. He could feel the cold metal slowly sinking into his chest, deeper and deeper, and with every inch the pain intensified. "I'm a bit curious. Is it that you're too stubborn to scream or maybe you just don't want your friends to hear you?" Danny had no will or power to answer him as he was. Faust's voice was more like an echo while his own rapid breathing pounded his ears from within. It was so loud, it was drowning out his thoughts as they blurred together. Faust watched as strength drained from the young halfa the further he pushed and soon found his hand clenched around the core he'd been anticipating. The instant he did, Danny's arms fell away and a cry of agony finally escaped his lips.

* * *

Down in the basement the other Titans still had their hands full with the small army of Flizards. "These guys are seriously packing the heat!" Cyborg complained. "I don't know how much more my circuits can take."

"At least you can hit them without getting burned!" Beast Boy whined as he blew out a small fire on his hand. "I don't know what hurts more, me hitting them or them hitting me."

All of a sudden the Flizard in front of him was blasted out of the way by a flash of green light. "Has anyone seen Danny?" Starfire asked as she flew over to them. "He does not seem to be in this under room with us."

Robin over heard them and took a few analyzing looks for himself in-between his attacks. After pushing back a pair of the ghosts he turned to find Raven pinning several of them to a wall. "Raven!" She turned to him and he waved her over. "Titans fall in!" The teens did as ordered and formed a small circle. Robin then pulled out one of his explosive disks and threw it in the direction of the most Flizards. "Raven, cover us." In the blink of an eye a dark barrier covered them and the flash of an explosion flickered just outside it. Seeing it was no longer needed, Raven took down her barrier and saw the result of Robin's strategy.

All the Flizards and a large portion of the basement were coated in ice. The ghosts didn't even flinch under their new frozen coating. Cyborg raised a slightly annoyed brow. "Why didn't you do that in the first place?"

"Yeah, it would've saved me some hair." Beast Boy added in as he pointed to a singed segment of his green hair.

Robin took a good look at the result with calculated thought. "I didn't want to risk doing that with Phantom in the room. We developed that to freeze ghosts."

"Where is he?" The ever stoic Raven asked with worry evident in her voice.

Cyborg raised his arm. "His communicator shows him here-"

He was interrupted when the sorceress fell to her knees suddenly. "Raven?!" She looked short for breath and terrified out of nowhere. Robin kneeled down in front of her. "Raven, what's wrong?" Raven then looked up towards the ceiling just in time for all of them to hear the muffled cry of their missing teammate. "Titans Go!" Robin ordered.

Cyborg pointed his canon up. "How about a short cut."

* * *

His whole body felt numb. All the pain of seconds ago seemed like a far off memory, but still so new. Anything caught in his vision was an indistinguishable fuzz of light and even sound was a confusing jumbled mess. Several thoughts strayed into his mind through this despite his confusion. What happened? He saw it, felt it….. but exactly what was it? Cold? Yes, cold and numb….. yeah. He was dying right? This has to be what it feels like…. Only it's all the way this time… Can't be all that bad right? At least it doesn't hurt anymore…. "DANNY!"

His muddled thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice. Raven? His strength was all but non-existent as he tried to sharpen his focus on his surroundings. All he saw was Faust with twisted enjoyment on his face. "Ra….ve…..n?" He barely choked out.

Faust was intrigued. "What was that? Some last words perhaps? Or maybe you haven't given up quite yet?" Despite his dulled senses, Danny was able to understand him. Had he really given up? Was that what that was? No…. the cold…. It took him a moment but he soon realized the cold wasn't death, it was his core. His energy wasn't gone…. Just forgotten in the pain. He was still fighting back or his body was. He'd gotten so lost he'd lost sight of himself, but no more. He wasn't going to let Raven or anyone else down if he could help it. He willed strength back to his limbs as he raised a shaky arm back up to grasp Faust's. The aged Necromancer was intrigued by the gesture. "Ah, so you haven't given up then."

The halfa's eyes sharpened with a determined spirit. "Of course not." He grunted out to the growing surprise of Faust. "I'm winning, you just don't know it yet." His eyes then flashed blue and his aura erupted to match.

Faust's eyes widened when he started to see the claw like device, he was so proud of, begin to frost over. "How…..! What are you doing!?" He growled out. He soon realized that he couldn't move his fingers at all anymore despite them being completely around his core. "Damn you!"

"What's the matter? Too cold for you?" Danny asked as he glared him down and tightened his grip on the gauntlet. "Sorry but the weather man says there's still two more weeks of winter to go. I suggest you go to Hell if you can't take it!" He tightened his grip once again and now the artifact started to visibly crack at the wrist.

"What are you doing! You foolish half breed!" Faust chided as he pulled away, but Danny's strength was unfounded. He finally decided to cut his losses and released the grip he had on the halfa's core.

This only made Danny hold on tighter. "What? Are you giving up!?" He roared before finally shattering the compromised metal of the artifact under his grip. He then reached up to his own chest to remove the remnants of what broke off before a white ring appeared around his waist. Faust watched as the battered and bruised halfa somehow renewed himself as if he hadn't been fighting at all. "Sorry, but quitting's not an option, dirtbag."

Faust looked over his ruined creation in anger as his fists visibly shook. "Damn! DAMN!" He cursed as he dropped the remains from his hand. "Das ist es! You shall pay dearly for this transgression, Phantom! Mark my words!" He shouted in outrage before the ground seemed to fall away underneath him. A green blast of energy erupted from the crumbling floor blind sighting the raging ghost from behind. Danny raised his arms to cover himself as the blast pushed him back a bit.

"Yo, Danny! You alright?" He lowered his arms to see Cyborg followed by the other Titans as they found their way up through the hole in the floor.

"What happened?" Robin asked as he looked around for himself. "Faust was up here right?"

Danny gave a nod as the tension started to ebb from his body. "He was… just…he-" He started before falling to his knees and collapsing on the ground.

"Phantom!" Robin grabbed him by the arm to try and pick him up while Cyborg gave him a hand.

"Is he….. okay?" Starfire inquired with worry.

Raven kneeled down to see for herself. "No he's not." She informed with worry as she noticed the green now staining the DP emblem of his suit.

* * *

The next thing Danny knew was he was surrounded by noises… no voices. His chest felt heavy, almost like someone was sitting on him. This unfortunately turned into shots of pain with each breath the more he stirred. He heard another muffled voice before a new added pressure on his chest made him lash out in pain. He sat up and shoved off whatever it was before realizing his familiar surroundings. He was in the Infirmary back in Titans Tower. "Huh?"

"I told you they were too tight." Beast Boy grumbled from the floor.

"All right, just take it easy." Terra pleaded as she walked into his field of vision. "No reason to go crazy. Beast Boy and I were just trying to change the bandage." She informed as she pointed at Danny's torso.

The confused halfa looked down and sure enough there it was, wrapped tightly around his chest. He lifted a hand to confirm the reality and winced when he felt the jolt shoot through his chest. Every breath burned like running a marathon at top speed. "Sorry…. I…. What happened?"

Beast Boy took a moment to think it over. "Oh…. You mean after you passed out right? Yeah, last night was crazy." He rubbed at the lite bandage on his forehead. "Especially for my hair." He grumbled under his breath. "Anyway, that Faust dude is MIA and so are the evil lizard guys. They disappeared after Cyborg blasted through the ceiling to get to you."

Danny couldn't stop his fist as it slammed on the bed next to him. "Damn…." He then winced from the effort as he held one arm over his chest. "He got away…"

Beast Boy rubbed his arm a bit. "Yeah…. Robin's already trying to track him down again. Cyborg's rewiring some circuits and I'm pretty sure your friend Polar's helping him out. I couldn't tell you what Star was doing, but I feel bad for that Bones guy for once."

He then glanced over to Terra who shrugged in response. "Don't look at me, I couldn't even crack that ice. I'm pretty sure that's what Dani went to check on though."

Danny was relieved by that as he let it out in breath. "So Dani's okay? Good…" He then realized he'd missed someone. "What about Raven?"

Beast Boy pointed just past Danny. "She's right there… though I think she's asleep or something." Beast Boy shrugged. "I don't really blame her since she's been using her powers so much lately." He then leaned forward in a whisper. "But don't go near her or you'll get zapped back."

Terra couldn't help but laugh since she had witnessed Beast Boy's earlier experience with it. "Come on, Beast Boy, we're supposed to tell Robin when he wakes up right?"

Beast Boy jumped in realization. "Oh right." He followed behind the blonde and gave one last wave to the halfa. "Just sit tight and take it easy Danny. We'll be right back."

Once the door had closed back Danny heaved a sigh and felt his chest tighten up again. "Damn that smarts…." He then felt his gaze drift over to Raven as she sat in a chair while slightly leaning against the wall. "Seems I'm over working my nurse." He muttered with a painful chuckle. He then tried to get up from the bed only to feel his chest scream in retribution. After a few more attempts ended the same way he finally got it into his mind to simply float up. Though he was a bit shaky, it didn't require as much movement.

He slowly floated over to Raven with a smirk on his face. He could remember clearly now back when he was fighting Faust. Raven was the one who snapped him out of his stupor. She'd been saving him over and over since they met. He then leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "Thank you, Raven."

She stirred just then and wore a smile as her eyes slid open. "Don't worry, I expect you to pay me back."

Danny raised a brow before the smirk returned to his face. "Oh come on, can't you warn a guy before you read his mind?"

Raven shook her head and chuckled. "I didn't have to read your mind to know what you were thinking." She then stood causing Danny to float back so she could. "Now lay back down before I start charging you interest."

Danny raised his hands in defeat. "Yes, ma'am." He took back his spot on the bed and laid down. It did make his chest feel better but breathing still hurt. Last night was supposed to be the end of it. They were supposed to catch him, but he got away. It wasn't over…. Not by a long shot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, mysterious foreshadowing is how this one ends. Enjoy.=^-^=  
> -The spell from the previous chapter will be explained later
> 
> -All of the strange things Faust said were in German. They were pretty basic so you don't really have to know what they said, but feel free to look them up.
> 
> \- No the fight isn't over (Just in case you didn't get that from the above foreshadow)
> 
> \- Bones is fine... ish... he'll be explained later.


	30. Ominous Wind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A surprising visitor comes with a message and Minos tells a story.

Over a week passed in Jump City with no signs of any sort of ghost activity. The silence frustrated Robin to no end as he burned out anything he had even resembling a lead. "No luck with that one either?" Cyborg asked him as he approached his teammate from behind.

Robin was at his desk rubbing his temples. "Nothing. I can trace everything back to Anton Faust but nothing is telling me about what that ghost, who possessed him, is planning, or what he was after."

Cyborg crossed his arms. "Chill, Robin, he's gotta make a move sometime."

"We can't afford to just wait around, Cyborg!" Robin declared in frustration. When he realized he'd raised his voice he took a breath. "We need to be ready."

"I know, Robin, believe me. Me and Danny have been working on a few things to get ready too."

Robin raised a brow. "Phantom's up?"

Cyborg chuckled. "Phantom's been up and around for almost three days Robin, but you've been cooped up in here for most of it." He then gestured to the door behind them. "Maybe you should get some fresh air."

"I can't take a break until we find Faust." Robin countered as he picked up some more papers.

Cyborg didn't let it go as he walked up and turned the boy wonder around. "What you need to do, is get out of this cave of yours, get something to eat, and maybe talk to Starfire before she starts getting even more jealous of Faust since he's getting all your attention. She's already barbecued Scott just for mentioning your name."

Robin let out a sigh which was followed by a small smile. "Alright…. I guess a break wouldn't hurt." The leads really were getting him nowhere and despite his work ethic, he did miss Starfire.

"That's my man!" Cyborg praised as he pat him on the back. "Let's go." He then guided Robin out of the stuffy room.

* * *

"How's it look?" Danny asked Raven as he sat down on his bed. He'd just finished taking off the bandages from his torso so that Raven could gauge the extent to which it's healed.

"It looks dreadful." Scott shot from the dresser in sarcasm.

Danny just gave him an annoyed look before turning back to Raven. "It looks almost completely healed." She stated as she held her hand over the faded wound. "You can barely see it anymore."

Danny let out a breath of relief. "Good." He expressed with tired eyes. "I don't know how much longer I can stay like this." Since the first day Danny found it extremely hard to even attempt to change back into his human self. Once he'd finally gotten the morph ring to form, pain followed soon after which forced him to abandon the transformation before it really began.

* * *

**One week prior-**

Danny looked panicked as he caught his breath. "What's wrong!?" He clutched his bandaged chest as he tried to calm his breathing. It still hurt, but more when he breathed too fast.

"Calm down, Phantom, or you'll hurt yourself." Scott tried to reason as he flew over to the dresser next to Danny. "I'm sure you're just tired. I still feel frozen myself." He continued as he shook in place.

Danny turned to him while still a bit frantic. "Nothing is fine! If I can't turn human….." His eyes widened. "What if I'm…. what if I'm not…. Oh no…." He started with his panic escalating yet again.

His worry was interrupted by a painful jab in the head. "Stop that this instant!" Bones shouted in annoyance. Danny turned to him in irritation as the bird flew just over his head. "Now I understand you're worried, but you should not jump to these conclusions without something to prove them!"

Danny raised a brow at him. "And just how could I prove anything? I can't turn human! What else could that mean!?"

Scott crossed his wings. "Well, I couldn't know that, but perhaps you could find someone who does? Certainly someone who could tell if you were still a halfa. Perhaps that FarFrozen ally of yours?"

Danny calmed at the thought. "Or maybe someone a bit closer…."

He then approached the door with Bones following close behind. "That's the spirit." Danny was quiet as he made his way down the hall. It was late, and while not everyone was asleep, he didn't want to bother anyone who was. As he approached the door to the sorceress's room, his resolve to get answers waned. "What's the holdup, Phantom?" Scott whispered. Danny couldn't help but be a little afraid that he was right. What if he wasn't human anymore? What if that fight had killed him completely?

He was snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Raven's door opening. "Danny?" She questioned as she stepped out. She seemed tired, and could have been asleep since she wasn't wearing her cloak.

Danny immediately became sorry about coming to her so late despite the fact that he hadn't even knocked on the door. "Sorry, Raven…. I didn't realize you were already asleep." He apologized as he rubbed his neck.

Scott scoffed at the scene. "Are you kidding? You didn't even get to the door and you're apologizing?" Danny shot him a glare before turning back to Raven. "I'll just come back in the morning."

"It's alright, Danny." She then waved him to follow.

Danny complied, and entered after her. When Scott began to follow, however, he stopped him. "Sorry, Scott, but could I talk to Raven alone?"

The ghost was obviously insulted as he turned. "Well fine. I only wanted to sleep in peace without listening to your panicked whining anyway."

After he closed the door he turned to see Raven over by the Chronicler's book. As he approached he noticed the bed was pulled down and it seemed he really did wake her up somehow. She saw him looking and decided to fill him in. "I felt your panic a few minutes ago. I was already awake probably before you decided to come see me."

"Oh.." He responded, but it didn't make him feel any better.

"So what's wrong?" She asked as she held down the cover of the ghost's book. He tended to interrupt them most of the time when they were trying to be alone.

Danny hesitated at first before finally explaining. "I-I can't change back….. When I almost did, it hurt…"

Raven appeared confused for a moment as she looked at him. As she connected his panic with the words, she started to slowly come to a realization. "You're worried you're not human anymore?"

He nodded his head after turning away. "I thought it was odd that even after that fight I remained in my ghost form. I decided to stay that way until I could leave the infirmary, but then when I tried to change back….."

She immediately went over to him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders gently as to not hurt him. "It's alright, Danny."

"No it's not." He countered without hugging her back. "I can't be…. All ghost."

She let him go and looked at him with a calm expression. "Being all ghost wouldn't change how anyone sees you, especially not me."

"Oh what is this annoying drivel going on so late in the night?" Raven's expression turned irritated as Minos smoked out of his book. "Don't humans generally go to sleep at night?" He whined in annoyance. He looked over the pair who gave him angry glares. "What? I really don't think it's an unreasonable expectation." Raven turned to him and prepared to slam his book shut with a wave of her hand. He ignored the gesture in favor of looking over Phantom's condition. "My my, you don't look very well, half breed."

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious…." Danny growled at him with a slightly somber tone at the end.

Minos raised a brow. "Odd. Where has all that confidence gone, half breed?" He mused with interest.

Raven stepped in front of Danny and glared him down. "Just leave us alone before I bury you in the desert somewhere."

Minos wore a smirk. "Now I'm even more curious. Speak now, or I shall take the information, girl."

"Phantom is worried that he is no longer human since he is unable to change into his human form." Bones interrupted as he phased into the room. Despite being asked to leave, he instead chose to eavesdrop outside the door.

Minos gave an understanding nod as he raised a hand to his chin. "Well, that would be very interesting, but unlikely."

Danny turned to him with bewilderment. "Then why can't I change back?!"

Minos thought a moment before gesturing for Raven to step aside. "Move, girl, I will investigate this matter." She did move but kept her glare just as sharp on the ghost. Minos floated down and took the halfa by a shoulder to keep him still. Danny winced in slight pain from forced strain. "Hmmm…. As I thought, you are still a half breed." Minos revealed with a smirk.

Danny was more than relieved at the revelation before questioning the deduction. "Are you sure? I mean absolutely sure?"

The ghost was insulted by the query. "You question my observational skills? What gall!" He snorted in annoyance. "Your core still pulsates as a hybrid's does, while it is at a somewhat irregular rate from before."

Raven looked at Danny and then to Minos. "What does that mean?"

Minos held his chin in thought. "It most likely means his core is under significant stress, no doubt due to the injury he bares. The fact that he hasn't returned to his human form may be due to his core's need to repair itself which would be considerably more effective in his ghost state." He then crossed his arms as he continued. "Now about your inability to change forms….. I would imagine this boycott of your human form could also be your body's subconscious defense mechanism. Considering the damage, the repercussions it could have on your human form could very well be severe. I wouldn't consider trying to force it."

* * *

The halfa took a breath before activating the ring with relative ease and allowing the transformation to complete. It was more than relieving to find Mino's theory to be true. Though the ghost's fascination was disturbing, it did seem to make sense at the time. Danny's relief was short lived as he clutched his chest in pain. "Danny?!" Raven called in urgency.

Danny held up a hand in reassurance as he panted under the strain. "It's… it's okay, Raven. It just hurts a bit more as a human." He then sat up and fell back on the bed while still holding his chest with one hand. "It kinda feels like I was tackled by a whole football team…." He described with a slight laugh.

Raven sat down on the bed beside him with her worry falling away. "Considering what actually happened, I'll take that as an improvement."

"Definitely." Danny agreed as he closed his eyes. Staying Phantom for so long really did take it out of him.

Raven watched as he relaxed from the strain and before she even realized it, he'd fallen asleep. "Danny?" She called out quietly, but he didn't respond. She looked to the loosened grip of his hand and realized he had fallen asleep. "Good, you need it." She whispered with a small smile as she watched him. It was strange to see him like this, in his human form. Though she had seen it before, Danny preferred to be in Phantom form. She couldn't help but be curious of him as she reached a hand to his cheek. She flinched at the contact. He was much warmer than she thought…. But he was human now, that should be expected. "I guess I understand now…. Why you were so scared before…" She mumbled in thought. While she and the Titans wouldn't care if he were all ghost, he did. It was a part of him, just like how she's part demon. Despite her issues with her father, she couldn't imagine being without that part of herself.

* * *

Within the reaches of the Ghost Zone and high above the encroaching graveyards of the surface sat the Observant's Tower. It was within this structure that these bothersome ghosts went over the day to day problems of the Ghost Zone and what could be done about them. Every once in a while though, something serious found its way into their delegation. "This is the ultimate proof of their intentions!" One observant shouted.

"Surely no other could have taken it! He had the key!" Another added in.

"Then they must be brought back and tried accordingly." A new Observant dictated as they approached the center pedestal. "Let us bring this now to a vote. All in favor of the capture of the halfas to bring judgement?" A chorus of 'Aye' rang through. "Now all opposed?" They added in somewhat pointlessly. It was surprising though when a solitary 'Nay' was heard in response.

They all turned to try and find the source and not long after a familiar ghost came forwards. "You should not be so quick to judge on appearances. What you see is not always what is." Clockwork informed with an annoyed expression as he floated towards the center pedestal.

"What is the meaning of this, Clockwork?! This is not an open counsel."

The time ghost raised a brow. "Is it ever? Besides, I am not the one who wanted to interrupt you." He then gestured to the hall he'd entered from and three robed ghosts slowly shuffled out. Their dark purple robes hid all but the glowing red eyes of their masters.

"The Regents?"

Clockwork wore a smirk. "Yes, they have something they want to say." He then turned to look around at the other Observants who were chatting quietly as they looked on. "I trust that won't be a problem?"

The Observant at the pedestal backed away and bowed. "Of course not."

The three ghosts quickly moved the center area and one of them gestured towards the large monitor. Their hand glowed and an image appeared of a large building shaped like a 'T'. "The time for judgment is not yet here. Now is the time to observe." After a short period of mumblings between the Observants, they grew silent as they began to fulfill their namesake.

* * *

The day after Danny was able to turn human, Cyborg was up on the roof working alone. Danny had been originally helping him, but Raven had informed him about how the halfa was feeling and so, what else could he do? Danny was the one, if any of them, that needed to take it easy after that last fight. The last few modifications to the shield generator were thankfully minor, but they still took some time to get done. "Alright." Cyborg declared as he closed the hatch of the generator. "Let's see that ghost jerk get through that. The whole city's a no go zone now." As he admired his accomplishment he was knocked from his thoughts by the whisper of the wind. He hadn't noticed through all his work just how strong the wind had been getting. He looked over the horizon in confusion. "A storm? I don't see any clouds." He scratched his head a bit before shrugging. "I don't have anything else to do out here so I better get inside anyway."

"St-o-p" He paused at the broken word. Was it a word? It sounded like the wind had just spoken to him… maybe.

He turned his head a moment before shrugging it off again. "Too much work I guess." Just before he reached the door the strongest gust cut him off and pushed him back. He fell back and looked on at the mini tornado that now stood between him and the door. "What the heck?!"

"Did you not hear me!?" It shouted angrily. "I commanded you to stop!" The gust died down and soon a form was visible inside the wind. They appeared to be a young woman with teal skin and wearing samurai armor that was of a forest green. Her emerald green hair framed her angry expression before curling at the ends which sat draped over her shoulders.

"Do I know you?" Cyborg questioned as the familiarity of her appearance seemed to hit him.

"No, but my brothers should be acquaintances of yours." Cyborg was more than surprised by the declaration as he activated his arm communicator. "Hey Robin…. We got a visitor."

* * *

By their guest's insistence, the other Titans minus Danny who was resting, and Raven who had gone to check on him, joined Cyborg on the roof. Cyborg was quick to make an introduction the minute the boy wonder stepped through the door. "This is Wind."

Robin raised a brow as he turned to her. "Wind?"

She gave a nod as she crossed her arms. "Yes, you should know my brothers, Thunder and Lightning."

Beast Boy snapped his fingers in realization. "I knew it!" He then turned to Robin. "Remember that stuff we found on Danny's computer?"

Robin quickly realized what he meant. "The attributes of weather."

Wind gave a nod. "Yes, though I'm very surprised you know of that. Did the Great One tell you?"

"Great One?" He questioned as he looked over to the other confused Titans.

Beast Boy scratched his head. "Uh…. Okay who?"

Now she was the one who was confused. "I was told he was here." A roar of thunder interrupted their conversation as a large set of storm clouds appeared on the horizon. "So they came after all." She commented as the clouds approached.

"They are perhaps Thunder and Lightning?" Starfire questioned.

Wind nodded as the boys in question appeared from the clouds. Lightning came down in a flash of light while his brother floated on a cloud. "Please, elder sister, could you not wait for us?" Thunder pleaded with a worried expression.

"Has she ever, brother?" Lighting answered for her.

"Why should the wind wait for the clouds?" She questioned with a superior expression.

"Thunder, Lightning, what's going on?" Robin questioned the honorary titans.

Thunder respectfully answered with a bow of his head. "Yes, Robin, we need your help."

Wind waved her hand. "No we do not, Thunder. We need the Great One's help. That is the only reason I am here." She corrected for him before turning back to Robin. "Now you will bring him here."

"Hold on a sec, just who is this Great One? What problem do you need him to fix?"

Cyborg rubbed his chin. "Wait a minute…. Great One…. That's what Polar calls Danny." He recounted in realization.

"So you want Phantom's help?" Robin asked in clarification. "What exactly is going on?"

Wind seemed annoyed, but answered. "There is a powerful spirit causing a disruption between this world and the Ghost Zone. The Great One is the only one strong enough to stop them."

Thunder and Lightning both nodded in agreement. "We know that you are powerful, but I believe our sister is right." Thunder then looked around. "Where is he?"

They all turned to the closing of a door as Raven joined them on the roof. Robin quickly addressed her. "How's Phantom?"

She approached with curiosity. "He's fine, but he needs to rest." She then turned to Thunder, Lightning and the girl she didn't know. "What's going on?"

Wind turned to her with a serious expression. "These delays will only prove to be our end, now where is the Great One?" She demanded.

Raven was obviously insulted by the girl, but Robin intervened. "I'm sorry but the Great One can't help you right now. We can."

She wore a smug and angry expression at the boy wonder's revelation. "Can you? I doubt it." She waved her hand and brought up a gust. When Robin was pushed back by it she smirked. "You can't even defend against that."

Lightning and Thunder jumped in quickly to block their sister's aggressive advance. "Hold, sister." Lightning pleaded. "They are not the enemy."

"Yes, sister, surely they could be of assistance." Thunder added in.

She raised a brow at the antics of her brothers. It wasn't often that they would go against her, and so there maybe something to it. "We shall see then." She then snapped her head to the sky. "Very soon." Both of her brothers turned as well as the twilight sky appeared to warp. "He draws near."

"Who exactly is he?" Robin inquired.

"And why can only Danny stop him?" Cyborg added in.

Wind turned to them with a slightly curious expression. "The Great One earned his title by defeating the Ghost King. That is who approaches now. I'm curious as to why you know so little about your own ally." All but Raven seemed surprised by the information.

"Hold on… Danny beat up that Pariah guy?" Beast Boy questioned in astonishment.

Wind was now exasperated by the teens as she crossed her arms. "Exactly how helpful could these humans be with what little they understand?" She asked her brothers.

"You should not underestimate them, sister." Thunder insisted.

"Yeah, we can take 'em….. I think." Beast Boy stated as he thought it over at the end.

Robin nodded. "We're going to need more information though." He then turned to Raven. "Why don't we ask Minos what he knows about this ghost king?"

* * *

The group of teens relocated to the main room of the tower as Raven placed the tome on the coffee table. "Hmm? You have a Chronicler it would seem." Wind noted with a slightly impressed tone. Raven ignored it and pulled the pages open.

Minos quickly smoked out with his standard arrogant air about him. "Speak, Sorceress." He beckoned as if his time was too valuable for her. Thunder and Lightning looked on with impressed expressions which did not go unnoticed by the ghost. "Hmm? Attributes of the weather?"

He then turned back to Raven with intrigue. "We need to know about the ghost king."

Minos raised a brow. "Which one, girl. I implore you to be specific if you require this knowledge."

Beast Boy scratched his head. "There's more than one?" He looked at Cyborg who simply shrugged.

Minos rolled his eyes at the ignorant question. "If you must know, there have been four ghost kings. The first was King Ouroboros who forged the Crown of Fire, then Volcanus the bringer of order, after him was King Cold who was known as the benevolent beast, and finally Pariah Dark the tyrannical conqueror."

Robin rubbed his chin. "Danny said that Pariah Dark was the Ghost King, but he was sealed away."

Minos gave a laugh. "He no longer bares the crown foolish human. He is a king no more."

Cyborg crossed his arms. "Then who are we dealing with. Wind said it was the Ghost King."

Minos seemed interested as he turned to the elemental attribute. "A new king? Do tell, girl."

"He appears to be human, but I do not know him. He does have those burning vermin at his beck and call however." She informed with disgust.

"Okay…. I'm really confused." Beast Boy grumbled as he scratched his head.

Minos wore an amused expression as he eyed the changeling. "I'm feeling rather generous at this time so I shall start from the beginning, green one." He waved his hand over the book and the pages formed black and white images. "The very first Ghost King was King Ouroboros." He started and the pictures moved with his words. It showed a large winged serpent with three horns down its back. "He ruled in a time before humans, and many other species. At this time the Ghost Zone, or Infinite Realms, was not separate from this mortal realm at all, but intertwined with it. This, as you may imagine, was a problem especially for the mortal races. He used his great powers to separate the two worlds, but only enough so that the mortal realm could evolve on its own. At the end of his reign he forged the Crown of Fire from one of his own horns and bestowed his power on it. That artifact was then given to Volcanus as Ouroboros saw him to be the best choice to succeed him." The pictures on the book then showed a large lizard with the burning crown sitting on its head.

"Hey… that kinda looks like one of those Flizard guys." Beast Boy commented.

"It should since he was a Flizard himself." Minos informed with an annoyed snort. "Now do not interrupt mortal or I shall retract my generosity." He then cleared his throat. "Now let's see…. Oh yes, King Volcanus. He was known as the bringer of order. It was he who gave the Ghost Zone and mortal realms the order they needed to coexist. This order is shown with how ghosts phase through things in the mortal realm and mortals phase through things in the Ghost Zone. Without him, they could have very easily destroyed each other." He then waved his hand again and the picture changed to look like a horned yeti. "He then passed the crown to King Cold who was lord of the FarFrozen."

"Why would he pass it down to a FarFrozen if they hated each other?" Raven interrupted as she looked at the picture.

Minos gave her a superior expression. "Ah, but they did not…. At the time that is. When their lord and Master Volcanus passed over his own tribe for succession you could imagine that did not sit too well with the other Flizards. King Cold was known for his strong will and benevolent nature. That is why Volcanus sought him out for the crown."

"So the Ghost King's not supposed to be evil?" Cyborg questioned. The way Danny described Pariah, he thought that was normal.

Wind was the one to answer his question this time. "No they are not. The Crown is an artifact of great power intended to keep balance between our worlds. It would never allow an evil being to wear it."

Minos chuckled. "Yes, but that is where Pariah Dark comes in. He used the Ring of Rage to steal the crown from King Cold." He then depicted the ring on the pages to show them. "This artifact was created by a familiar necromancer you may know; Alphonse Faust. The Flizards promised him eternal loyalty in return for a way to bring down King Cold." He then raised a curious brow. "Considering your distaste for these 'burning vermin' I believe you are referring to the Flizards?" Wind gave a nod, much to the satisfaction of the Chronicler. "Then it would seem this new king is the aforementioned necromancer himself."

Robin's eyes widened. "Faust!?" He questioned in surprise. He'd been trying to find him all this time and it turns out he needed to look in the Ghost Zone. "No wonder I couldn't track him down."

"And he's on his way here?" Cyborg questioned.

Wind nodded. "Yes, which is why we need the Great One's help."

"He defeated Pariah Dark the second time, but what about the first?" Raven inquired as she moved her gaze from Wind to Minos. "How was he defeated before?"

Minos looked down to the book and three robed forms appeared. "Centuries ago the regents, guardians of the crown, sealed Pariah in the sarcophagus of forever sleep after he attempted to force the worlds together again. They have not been seen since."

"Again, that is why we need the Great One's help. He is the only one who has even won in a fight with the ghost king, different king or not." Wind declared with a persistent tone.

Raven turned to her with a frown. "Danny is in no condition to fight anyone."

Robin agreed as he raised a hand to his chin. "We're going to have to make do without him."

Their conversation was then interrupted by Terra and Dani as then dashed into the room. "Hey guys, you're gonna want to look outside!" Dani declared as she pointed to the window.

"There's this weird swirl of glowing clouds." Terra described as she pointed as well. All eyes turned towards the large windows to see the green vortex that was forming in the skies above.

"He is here." Wind said in a solemn tone. "Let us hope you can truly stop him then." She then turned to them. "Or the world as you know it will be no more."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So first off Wind is an OC character I created very early in the fic. I bet lot's of you forgot about that little mention, but I can't blame you since it has been awhile. She is the eldest of the weather attribute siblings I mentioned before. I figured wind would be the strongest since it contributes to all weather just about. You may also note how she and her brother refer to Danny as the Great One. This is because of how they were born. Since they are aspects of a ghost's power, they would no doubt have knowledge of ghosts, and would know of Danny's fight with Pariah Dark.  
> The last bit is all head cannon. I figure there was probably more than one king and they had to start somewhere right?=^-^=


	31. Reclamation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Titans go to fight Faust and just when victory looks certain, a new creature towers before them.

Danny slept peacefully until feeling a rather uncomfortable jostle from his heaven of unconsciousness. He tried to block it out by covering his head with his pillow until he realized it wasn't noise that was bothering him. He sat up with the pillow on his lap with a confused expression. "What…?" He weaved his fingers through his hair as he tried to grip the strange feeling he had. "I've got a bad feeling….?" He wasn't entirely sure, but it was enough to get him out of bed.

"Phantom!? Are you awake!?"

Danny turned to his door where Scott's voice was coming from. "Scott?"

"Oh, thank Heavens! Please open the door! I have been trying to get in but Raven put a spell on the room! It's important!" Danny hopped off his bed with a slight groan from his sore chest. The minute he unlocked the door Scott dashed in with panic all over his face. "We must hurry!" He announced as he floated before the newly awakened halfa. "He has them!"

Danny caught that line and grabbed him from the air. "What are you talking about, Scott? Who has what?"

The ghost looked at him with a sorry expression. "The others…. Faust has them….. all of them."

The halfa paused a moment as the concept forced its way through his brain. "Faust…"

"YES!" Scott shouted again as he pecked at the boy's head.

That knocked Danny out of his stupor as the he rubbed the sore spot. "What do you mean Faust has them!? What happened?!"

Scott fluttered his wings a bit as he broke from Danny's grip. "Those humans, the Titans. A few hours ago a large ghost portal appeared in the sky… Pariah's Keep. This horde of ghosts came out and the others went out to stop them. They seemed to have it handled….. until…. Well they didn't…."

Danny's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about!? What about the shield!?"

Scott turned towards the door. "It's on emergency backup power and barely holding over the tower. Come on! You just need to see for yourself!" He then took off and Danny morphed to quickly follow. Scott brought him to the living room where the scene from the windows was a story to tell. There was a large tear in the sky showing the Ghost Zone and it only seemed to be growing the longer it stayed. At the very center, which was quite close to the tower, floated Pariah's Keep, a castle Danny was more than familiar with.

Danny floated as close as he could to the window as he looked on in disbelief. "How…. How could this happen?... Damn it!" He cursed as he punched the glass. It cracked around his fist as he hung his head. "Why didn't anyone come and get me?!"

"Are you kidding me? Everyone knew you were in no real condition to fight. Raven insisted that you be left to rest." Scott informed from behind him.

Danny turned to him with an angry expression. "How could I possibly sleep through such a big fight?! I knew he'd be back!"

"We all did, Phantom." Scott said as he tried remain calm under the hostile shouts.

"They should've woken me up!" Danny shouted in frustration. "You should have woken me up!"

"I tried! I TRIED SO MANY TIMES!" Scott shouted back as anger overshadowed his panic and self-restraint. "Raven placed a spell around your room so that I couldn't! I knew this would happen if they went without you, but they didn't want you getting hurt again! They wouldn't let me!" He explained in anger at the halfa. "That is why I spent the last few hours pecking and banging on your door to try and wake you up!" He finished with his white bones going red around his face.

Danny's anger faded for the ghost as he turned back to the sky. "… I guess…. I'm sorry, Scott…." His fists clenched as they pressed on the glass. He then leaned his forehead on the glass as he closed his eyes in frustration. "Damn…"

" _Danny…"_

He snapped his eyes open. All of a sudden he was hyper aware as he looked up at the castle. "Raven?!"

"Phantom?"

He turned to Scott with wide eyes. "Didn't you hear her?"

Scott shook his head. "No…. She's up in the Keep. You couldn't possibly have heard her from here."

Danny furrowed his brow as he looked back up at it. "No, I heard her alright." He then took a breath. "It's time I stopped being an idiot and went after them." He then turned back to Scott. "Right?" He asked with a serious expression but also with a smirk.

"That's what I was trying to tell you from the beginning." Scott said with a smug tone. "We should hurry!"

Danny held up his hand. "No, Scott, you're not coming with me."

Scott was immediately against the idea as he floated up to him in anger. "Now see here, Phantom! I will not be left behind again!"

Danny shook his head. "Hold on, Scott, that's not it. I need you to do something for me while I go to that castle." Danny started explaining.

Scott raised a brow with agitation. "What could possibly be more important?"

"Nothing, but you'll do it anyway." Danny directed as he pointed towards the doors. "I need you to go and tell Frostbite what's going on. Tell him I need his help however he can give it."

The bony ghost floated slightly away. "Frostbite….." He muttered in question as he saw the serious expression on Phantom's face.

"Yeah….. I can't do this on my own either. I'm going up to the castle to see what I can do for Raven and the others. Hopefully they're still okay. I'll stall Faust from going any further until you bring the reinforcements." Danny then started to float up before being stopped by another demanding voice.

"Hold on, half breed!" He turned to see Minos floating over his book. "A moment of your time?" He requested with a smirk.

Danny looked at him warily. "What?"

Minos gestured him over with a finger. "Come here a moment." With slight hesitance Danny complied until his feet were solidly on the floor. Minos then jabbed him in the chest with two glowing fingers.

Danny winced in response as he grabbed his chest. "What the heck!?"

Minos chuckled. "Just as I thought, your core has yet to fully recover. If you go out now you would most certainly not come back."

Danny flinched at the prognosis but didn't let it stop him for more than a second. "I don't care….. They're my friends. I will save them."

"Don't you mean **try** and save them? Faust will destroy you at your current strength. He bares the Crown of Fire you know."

It was obvious that information surprised the halfa, but his resolve held. "I don't care what he has. I'll save my friends and the city."

Minos raised a brow. "Quite confident aren't we?" He then rubbed his chin. "Tell me, is it true you defeated Pariah Dark when he wore the Crown?"

Danny gave a bit of thought to his response before shaking his head. "No…. I didn't defeat him. I was barely able to push him back even with that special suit that magnified my powers by a hundred."

Minos was surprised at the honest answer. The boy took none of the praise he'd been showered with and looked on his victory with more scrutiny than even his enemies. "Your honesty is quite fascinating, half breed." Minos said with a laugh.

"What would be the point in lying about that?" Danny asked in a serious tone. "Most of the ghosts I know saw how close I was to being killed in that fight, and lying wouldn't make me any stronger than I am."

Minos tapped his chin. "True, but tell me this. Did you or did you not remove the crown from Pariah's head before sealing him away?"

Danny raised a curious brow. "Yeah…. Why?"

The smirk that found its way to the ghost's face was creepy to say the least as he seemed to plot something in his mind. "Then I may have an idea for you, half breed. If you try to fight Faust as you both are now, he will most definitely destroy you. If, however, you are able to destroy his artifact, what bares this symbol, you may be able to win." He tried to explain as he showed the symbol on his pages.

"That's the ring of rage….. or what's on it at least."

Minos nodded. "Yes, if you take it or destroy it, the crown will no longer give him power." Danny looked down at it carefully as he memorized its appearance. "He'll be wearing it on something and it may not be a ring."

"So if I destroy it, we can win?" Danny asked as he looked up to the ghost.

"Quite possibly, but this is merely a guess." Minos said with a tease that seemed to hide something.

Danny looked at him a moment before floating up again. "Well, I'll just have to try it out." He then turned to Scott. "Go straight for the FarFrozen and don't stop for anything, got it?"

Scott nodded. "Of course, Phantom, just….."

"What?" Danny wondered in slight annoyance to the delay.

Scott seemed more than hesitant to finish before blurting it out. "Just make sure you don't do anything stupid! Last time I left you, you wound up a puppet! If you get destroyed, what am I supposed to do for energy?"

Danny frowned at the little tirade. "Figures, just bring Frostbite, and I'll try and stay in one piece." Danny then flew off without another moment's hesitation.

As Scott flew off towards the door he heard Minos chuckle behind him. "And what pray tell is so funny!?" He demanded as the bull sneered at him.

"You try too hard to sound self-centered, but you won't be able to hide it much longer. After all, it's fairly common knowledge how parasites like you slowly start to take after your masters." Minos explained with a chuckle. "But you needn't worry too much if my hunch turns out to be true."

He then smoked back into his book as Scott glared him down with a green tinge on his bony cheeks. "That annoying little…. Urg!" He then flew on with his mission as he grumbled under his breath.

* * *

"How are you holding up sorceress? Surely your energy must be on the low side after holding that barrier for so long." Faust sat smirking from his throne as he watched Raven hold off her and the other Titans being crushed by an energy field enshrouding her own. "Quite frankly, I could keep this up all day." He bragged as he lazily held up his hand to support the energy expense.

"He's right, Raven, you can't keep this up much longer." Robin agreed from behind the tired titan.

She continued to hold her hands high to support her barrier as she turned her head towards him. "I have too. If I drop the barrier, we'll all be crushed."

"True, true, but it will be very quick. Why suffer through this when you know what will inevitably be your fate?" He then seemed to wear an expression of surprise. "Unless of course, you believe those other two can save you? Or maybe those weather aspects?" He then gave a pompous laugh. "No, that would be deluded even for the likes of you." He then leaned on his other hand. "Though maybe not so if it were Phantom? He's surprisingly absent." His expression then turned angry as he glared down at them. "You cannot hide him from me forever. I will find him, girl, and destroy him! You will not stop me."

Raven looked up at him with a strained and angry expression. "I'll do whatever I can…"

"Hey, Robin, I think I got it working." Cyborg called over as he messed with his built in arm communicator.

The boy wonder dashed over. "How are they doing? Can they help us?"

The screen cut out a bit, but it was plain to see Thunder at the other end. He seemed to be on the move as he took several glances at the screen. "We may not be able to I am afraid. Our adversaries are most powerful, and my sister can only hold them off for a few minutes at a time."

Robin let out a sigh. "Just do what you can. We'll work something out."

A boisterous laugh interrupted them as Faust held his stomach. "Perhaps you truly are deluded after all!" He was then interrupted as a green plasma blast singed the back of his seat only inches from his head.

"I don't know what's so funny, but I'll wipe that smirk right off your face!"

He stood up to angrily face down his new foe. His anger turned to more confusion when he finally noticed Danielle as she floated directly in front of him with her fists aglow in energy. "A little girl… Is this supposed to be some sort of joke?" Dani blasted him again and he blocked with his arm. He quickly became annoyed when it singed the pale skin of his host body.

"Not laughing now are ya?" She teased.

Faust remained calm at the comment, but he was losing patience. "Why laugh at such a poor joke?" He then lifted his free hand and blasted her with his own blood red energy. Dani quickly defended with a shield but she was pushed back to the wall and his energy dissolved her meager attempt to block. "So instead of Phantom, I get this little girl to contend with? What an insult!"

"Better a little girl than an old man!" She shot back as she climbed to her feet.

Faust merely rolled his eyes in disgust. "This joke is not, nor has it ever been, amusing. Be grateful I'll make this quick." He declared as he prepared to chant a spell over using ecto energy. "Au-" He was cut short by a sudden weight on his back and quickly felt two arms wrap around his neck.

"Sorry but the joke's on you!" Terra announced as sparks started to fly off her body. They quickly made their way to Faust and he cried out in agony.

In his disoriented state, he couldn't hold the Titans in the barrier any longer as he reassigned both arms to trying to get the young blonde off of his back. "What is this!? ARG!"

"Awesome, Terra!" Beast Boy complimented as the other Titans spread out to surround the two.

Just as the others got into position for a team assault, Faust ripped the girl from his back and tossed her with disgust across the room. Beast Boy dashed after her and she hit a mass of green wool instead of the wall. "Thanks, Beast Boy." She expressed with gratitude after they both tumbled a few feet to the floor.

Faust was now holding his abdomen in pain as he growled in anger. "That damned little girl….!"

"Just pulled one over on you!" Dani announced as she blasted at him again. This time he deflected the blast and immediately blasted back. Dani narrowly dodged the blast that crumbled the wall it hit.

"Titans together!" Robin ordered as he charged the ancient villain. Cyborg charged up his cannon in response while Raven and Starfire lit up their hands. They hailed a barrage of attacks on him and Robin finished them off with a specially made explosive of his own.

Faust didn't wait for the smoke to clear before retaliating. "Aufhören!" He shouted as a wave of energy pushed all the teens back.

Beast Boy rubbed his head as he took a knee. "Aww man…." He then turned to the disoriented blonde nearby. "Any chance you could do that electro thingy to him again?"

She shook her head as she pulled at the device around her waist. "I'm pretty sure it's fried…." Her deduction was made clear when it sparked and she impulsively dropped it.

"That is enough! I will no longer tolerate any of these childish antics! It was amusing at first, but that time has passed!" He then gestured towards the green changeling with his right hand. "Erhebt euch!" On his command Beast Boy began to float off the ground involuntarily. He quickly followed with the others before having them all floating around against their wills. "If Phantom isn't going to come for you, then you are of no more use to me."

"Someone's impatient!" They all heard in a familiar shout. Only seconds later was Faust tackled by a black and white blur and they crashed right through the throne.

"Danny?" Several of the Titans questioned as they fell to the ground after Faust lost his concentration.

He floated up from the rubble and turned to them. "And just who were you expecting?" He then noticed Faust in the corner of his eye and raised a shield to block his energy.

"So you finally show yourself!?" He then blasted again once he saw his first blast didn't dissolve the shield. The second one only seemed to strain it as well as push the halfa back. "Good! Now I can have the pleasure of destroying you slowly." He said with a tone of pleasure.

"You shouldn't be here!" Raven shouted at him as she levitated beside him.

He turned an angry eye towards her as he let down his barrier. "And you shouldn't have left me behind! What kind of team is that!?" He questioned as he looked at the others as well.

"Perhaps this isn't the best time for such an argument?" Starfire suggested as she pointed towards the angry Faust.

"Yes, Phantom, you have more pressing concerns!" He then rushed him and pinned him to the wall with one hand at his throat. "Ho ho, now isn't this a familiar position." He noticed the others in his peripheral vision and quickly enclosed himself and his captive in a barrier. "Oh that's right, this is how it looked during our last encounter didn't it? Of course that was before you destroyed my wonderful Seelennehmer. Do you know how hard it is to come by the materials to make one?" He complained in a cocky manner. Phantom only glared back as he pulled at the man's hand with both of his own. "But no matter. I will destroy you and make another." He stated so plainly, but the enjoyment in his voice wasn't lost. "Painfully of course."

As Danny thought over how to get free he noticed something familiar hanging around Faust's neck. It was a medallion and it had the same mark as the Ring of Rage. He took what breath he could before responding with a witty quip. "Sorry, but I'm gonna have to take a rain check." Faust seemed amused before he noticed the blue hue to the halfa's eyes. He didn't have time to cover himself as Danny froze him head first. The barrier fell and Danny was able to pull out of the evil sorcerer's grip as he fell to the ground.

"Guess he had to chill after that one." Beast Boy quipped with his standard corny humor.

Danny's serious expression cut it short however as the others saw what he did. The ice didn't take long to crack as it failed to contain the man's anger. "Look, guys," Danny started he turned to his team mates. "I think I know how we can stop him, but we're gonna have to do it fast."

Cyborg formed his cannon in anticipation as Robin pulled out his modified staff. "What's the plan?"

"Remember Aragon?" Danny questioned.

Beast Boy snapped his fingers as he remembered. "Oh yeah, that dragon guy!"

Danny nodded as he turned back to Faust. "Same battle plan." He finished with one quick glance at Raven. She still wasn't happy he was here, but he seemed to be recovered much to her relief.

"Exactly what does that mean?" Terra questioned as both she and Dani seemed lost.

Beast Boy just flashed them a thumbs up. "Just pound him like normal, and don't let up."

Dani shrugged as she traded a glance with her friend. "Works for me."

"Ditto." Terra agreed as she took a ready stance.

The layer of ice holding the villain shattered seconds later with an aura of rage emanating off him plain to see. Without a moment's hesitation he instantly rushed at them and raised a hand towards Cyborg. "Zurückschieben!" He cast calmly but sharply, and the cybernetic titan was thrown back and embedded into the wall. He quickly followed up by repeating the spell on Danielle who was standing just to the left of him. She couldn't put up any resistance to it and found herself in a similar position to the older hero.

Beast Boy only remained surprised at the quick attack for a moment before morphing into a lion. He pounced at the man while Starfire began firing a barrage of Star Bolts at him. Faust floated up and aimed both hands at the pouncing changeling. "Beweg dich!" He directed as Beast Boy was forcibly located between the ghost and the approaching blasts. Beast Boy only had time to see it coming before being pummeled by them into the ground.

He then quickly dodged a blast by Phantom in favor of addressing the young boy wonder who was attempting to get him from behind. "Wickeln!" He shouted as he took hold of the staff. Though it burned in his grasp, the staff quickly jumped to life and as he released his hold, it slithered around Robin's arms and torso like a snake. It became ridged again soon after which made it impossible for Robin to block the man's follow up attack to his gut. Without missing a beat he quickly had hold of Terra by her hair and she dropped the boulder she had prepared to swing at him. "Not again, girl." He declared with cold tone as he held her up by her golden locks. A quick knee to the gut and she was dropped to the ground in defeat.

Before he could turn for his next opponent he found himself bound in a dark energy. "Hmm?" He turned to see Raven with her hands aglow. "I won't let you keep hurting my friends!"

"And neither will I!" Danny chimed in as he slammed his head with an aerial kick. Faust took it head on as his neck twisted a full 180 degrees. Even with the new coloration to his face, Faust didn't seem phased by the attack as Danny floated back. He took a breath as he followed it up with his ghost ray from both palms.

"Danny!" He heard Raven shout before Faust broke through his blast to land one of his own dead center in the halfa's chest. It felt like a cannon ball had just hit him as he was launched across the room. From the floor he gripped his chest tightly as he tried to control the pain that reverberated through the blow.

"I could scarcely imagine how much that hurt." Faust mused coldly as he stood over him. "Especially with the injury of our last meeting still mending." He kicked him in the side and forced him on his back. "But there is still more pain to come, Halfling." He declared as he raised his glowing hand to fire down on him. His sadistic pleasure was interrupted by a small cracking noise from just below. That is when he noticed his medallion was enshrouded with Raven's energy and there was now a three way crack forming in the center. His amusement morphed to rage as he turned to the offending Sorceress who by this point was just trying to stand as she cast her spell. "Zurückschieben!" He cast in response with one hand and Raven was forced back to the pile of rubble that was once his throne. "It seems I almost repeated my mistake." He reprimanded himself as he made his way over to her. "I thought Phantom was my biggest obstacle when you were greater still. Though your magic is no match for mine, I will give you no more chances." He reached down and grabbed her by her throat while she was helpless to stop him. "You die first, Sorceress." He declared as he held her up with his iron grip over her neck. He then paused a moment to take a back glance at Danny who had only been able to roll back over onto his hands and knees by this point. "Are you watching, Phantom?" He asked with a dark amusement. "You broke something of mine, and now I'm going to break everything of yours, starting with her." He turned about to show him more clearly the battered titan as she tried to claw his hand off her throat.

"Stop! Let her go!" Phantom demanded, but considering their positions Faust merely raised a brow in amusement.

"Of course, I'll get right on that." He responded sarcastically.

"Az-Azar-!" Raven tried to croak out, but Faust quickly stopped her with a squeeze of his hand.

"Silence, girl!" His expression then grew twisted as he spoke again. "Or better yet, I'll do it for you." His grip only tightened from there, and the scream she let out in response was soon throttled by her restricted airway.

"Let her go now!" Phantom demanded again as he got to his feet.

Faust was only mildly intrigued as he looked at the resilient halfa. "A glutton for punishment I see." He then fired his ecto energy with one hand and sent Danny reeling to the back wall with enough forced for it to crumble. "But I'm saving you for last, Halfling. I want you to be watching when I destroy all of your little friends one by one."

Danny's semiconscious state only barely allowed him to understand as he lay against the rubble of the wall he'd slammed into. The throbbing from his core reverberated through every fiber of his being and intensified with every move he made and every breath he struggled to take in. _Move!_ He mentally told himself, but he couldn't budge. _Stop him!_ Again though, his body didn't respond. His words to Minos from earlier seemed like a foolish promise now as helpless as he was. His mind was swimming as his own empty demands and memories echoed in his mind. "Oh? Has she lost consciousness already?" Faust chuckled darkly. "Where's the fun in that?"

It was then that Danny's mind finally went quiet, and a strange form of instinct took hold. He was on his feet before he even knew it and a blast of ecto energy quickly followed. Faust countered the blast with his own easily and the two energies clashed for dominance. "Why do you continue? You'll serve to be your own end at this rate." Faust queried at the display of power Danny still seemed to have. The halfa responded by adding his other hand to the blast and the green started to take ground from the red. A scowl quickly formed on Faust's face as he added more of his energy to the attack. "FOOL! You'll destroy yourself!"

Danny's eyes narrowed as his energy intensified in response. "Whatever it takes!" Surprise marred the ancient ghost's face as his energy was beaten back. He was barely able to block before the blast made its way to him. Raven was quickly cast aside as he held both arms to bar the energy from over taking him. Once the blast was cleared he lowered his arms only to find Phantom had already closed the gap between them. Resolution shown in the teen's eyes as he punched Faust in his newly unguarded chest. Though pushed back, he kept on his feet as the momentum of the attack died out.

His growl of frustration tapered a bit as he saw the exhaustion on Phantom's face as his legs faltered. "You see? You're done." He proclaimed with arrogance.

Instead of responding to Faust's boast, Danny instead turned towards Raven who lay a few feet away. "Monster….." He muttered under his breath.

Faust showed false insult at the comment. "Oh you wound me." He then raised his hand only towards the girl this time. "Here, let me put her out of her misery." He fired without hesitation, but it didn't reach its target.

Danny's hand now smoked from catching the blast to guard Raven. He turned towards Faust with venom in his eyes. "Don't you dare try to hurt her again!" Danny commanded. His shaky legs were gone as he took a step towards Faust.

The ghost stepped back without thinking. ' _What am I doing? This boy….. he's nothing!'_ He tried to convince himself, but he couldn't shake the feeling completely. He then raised his hand to fire again only Phantom grabbed his wrist before he could aim. He quickly twisted it back eliciting a groan from the ghost possessing the body. "Let go, Halfling!" He demanded. It was strange that he couldn't free himself from the teen's grasp. Phantom was weakened, gravely injured and he himself was wearing the Crown of Fire! How could this half breed be able to hold him!? Faust could feel the flames of the crown dancing wildly on his head as the teen continued to twist. _'Where is he getting this power?!'_ He thought just before hearing a small cracking from his chest. When he looked to see its source, he saw the amulet cracking further until it breached the edge of the artifact. "No…..no!" He shouted as the red glow of the eyes faded from the skull, and the crown's flame burned even more wildly.

He then turned to Danny who bore his toxic green eyes into him like he was staring into his very soul. "You…. How did you….." It was then that the crown's flame died down before whipping into a fireball. It bounced around a bit before finding its way atop Danny's head where its fire burned stronger than it ever did on Faust's. "You couldn't be….." He felt his plans crumbling away at the realization. All the planning and waiting, gone! First it was Pariah Dark being sealed away, and now even he was going to be defeated. He took a moment to think fast before using his free hand to blast at Raven again. Phantom of course, released him to block it which allowed Faust to escape. "It's time for something new, boy!" He then began chanting and writing in the air. "Antike. Er, der den Beginn kreiste! Is entstehen !" As he finished the pentagram at the center the building began to shake violently, and crumble around them. "You may have the crown, Halfling, but I have its maker!" He then ran off through a back hall to escape the building.

Danny on the other hand, went back over to Raven. He kneeled down and reached a hand to brush the hair out of her face. "Raven….." How could he let it get this far? He swore he'd never be that weak again…. So weak he couldn't save anyone. He took a deep breath before standing back up and looking around. He quickly grabbed the others one by one and gathered them over by Raven.

His final trip was in grabbing Robin who stirred to consciousness when Danny picked him up by the twisted staff. "Phantom….?" He said with mild confusion as he shook the blurriness from his eyes.

"Yeah, it's me." He allowed the titan to stand on his own before phasing the metal binding off. "Come on." Danny called as he guided him over to the others.

Despite the building's roof beginning to cave in, Robin was quickly able to take in the situation. "What happened? Where's Faust?"

"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough." Danny responded as he erected a green barrier over the group to protect from the falling debris.

With all the noise helping, Robin was able to get Cyborg awake, and Starfire came to on her own. "Feel like I was hit with a bus." He grumbled as he rubbed his shoulder. "What'd I miss?" He questioned as he saw the rubble still falling around.

"I do not think it is good." Starfire answered as a large flaming circle was forming before them. The green flame wrote itself into existence and completed the ring at the top. A loud boom went off as the space within the circle darkened slowly to pitch black.

Beast Boy was startled awake by the sound and let out a cough. "Whoa!... That hurt…." He mumbled as he lazily looked over the char marks left by Starfire's attack. He then saw Robin and Cyborg looking in awe at something and turned to see. His ears instantly drooped at the sight of two large purple eyes piercing the dark circle.

"Come meet your end, children." Faust beckoned as he floated just to the side of the sinister portal.

"What is that…?" Beast Boy asked as he pointed at it with a shaky finger. None of his friends had a real answer for him.

"I don't think it's good, BB." Cyborg responded with a tense expression.

"Thought so." The changeling grumbled.

"Maybe not….?" Danny corrected as he scrutinized the creature as it came forth. The head revealed itself to look like a large snake at first, until the two horns on either side of its head became visible. As more of its body came out, two more much larger horns could be seen towering from its back in line.

"What part of that, doesn't look bad?!" Beast Boy wondered as he turned to Danny. He then finally noticed something strange about his friend. The burning crown that was once on Faust's head, now rested on Danny's. "Is that…. Hold on…" He turned to see Faust and the crown was indeed gone. "Dude…. How did you get that from him?" Beast Boy finally asked as he stood up fully.

Cyborg turned to him and noticed it as well. "Yeah… when did that happen?"

Danny raised a brow at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Perhaps they are referring to this Crown of Fire which is now floating over your head, Danny."

Danny wore a confused expression as he tried to look up and see what she was talking about. He only saw the tips of the flames as the crown moved along with him as he gaped in bewilderment. "The heck!?" He reached up to feel the strange flames. "When did that get there?!"

"Uh guys…. I think we should be paying more attention to the giant monster snake." Cyborg pointed out while Danny, Beast Boy, and Star continued to marvel at the strange object.

"Cyborg's right. This isn't over!"

The beast now stood several stories tall before stopping their advancement out of the portal. With a sharp roar two wings unraveled from its back and flapped to kick up a powerful wind. Faust blocked it meagerly while Danny's barrier still held over his friends to block it out completely. The titans now had a large and monstrous serpent like creature gazing down at them with glowing purple eyes that seemed to mesmerize all who looked at them. "Oh yeah…. This is way bad." Beast Boy reiterated with a slight whimper as he gazed wide eyed at the beast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I special summon Phantom! His special effect comes into play if Raven is about to be destroyed in battle! When battling against a monster who target's Raven, he steals any equip cards that monster has equipped and his attack is doubled! But what's this!? Faust activated a trap card during the damage step!? 
> 
> Don't ask, I have no idea what I'm going on about.=^-^=


	32. The Regents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faust gets what's coming to him. There is also a snowball fight where something interesting happens.

The situation didn't look favorable for the Titans with a new and sinister beast towering before them. It was even less so when you add in the fact that Faust was the one who summoned it forth. He looked down on them with a pompous smirk while holding the arm Phantom had previously nearly broke. "Go and devour them, Ouroboros!" He decreed without looking up to the ancient creature he commanded.

A short silence ensued as Ouroboros remained still, but just as Faust became impatient, it began to lower its head. It was a slow process for the giant reptile's gaze to make its way down to the lowly teens before it, and seemed to take several minutes. "Uh, dudes….. I think maybe we should get out of here?... like now?" Beast Boy suggested as he watched.

"And go where?" Cyborg questioned without moving his eyes from the serpent. "I really doubt it'll just let us get away."

"Then we fight." Robin declared as he reached for his utility belt.

"Hold on…" Danny stated again as he watched the ghost warily. "Something tells me, we may not have too." The other titans gave him curious expressions before looking back to the snake. Once the head had lowered to be just outside the halfa's barrier it stopped. A strange staring match ensued, but it wasn't tense….. it was more curious than anything. To break the silence, Ouroboros struck out with its tongue and lashed at the ecto barrier before it. It dissolved instantly which sparked some attempted retaliation from the young heroes. Before anything started, however, Danny stepped forwards and turned to block them. "No, guys, you really don't want to fight this thing!" He then turned his head back to look at it. "Besides…. I don't think it's going to attack."

_"A perceptive half breed."_

Danny turned completely around in surprise to the sudden speech. "Huh?"

Ouroboros' mouth didn't move at all when he spoke while his tongue flickered with every word. _"I see them….."_ He stated as his eyes narrowed. _"The crown has chosen wisely."_

Danny just looked confused. "What are you talking about? This?" He asked as he pointed to the flaming crown.

_"It sees beneath what is seen, and knows all it needs to know."_ The ancient ghost stated as if ignoring the question all together. _"You are fit."_ He finished before raising his head back up to tower over them again.

"Fit for what!?" Danny asked in agitated confusion.

"Uh, dude….. what are you yelling about?" Beast Boy wondered with a confused expression that matched the other conscious titans.

Danny turned to them with frustration still on his face. "What do you mean what am I yelling about? That guy made no sense just now!" When confusion still marred their faces the halfa raised a brow. "Didn't you hear him?"

They shook their heads in response. "All we heard was some creepy hissing noise." Cyborg informed with a shrug.

"But you could understand him?" Robin asked with analytical gaze. He turned up to the serpent. "What did he say?"

Danny scratched at his head as he thought about it. "Well…. I'm pretty sure he was talking about this crown….. probably, and I'm almost positive he's not going to attack us."

Robin nodded. "Then I think I understand." He turned to the others. "Remember what Minos told us? The first ghost king was named Ouroboros and resembled a snake. He made the crown in the first place."

"He did?" Danny questioned in surprise. Since he'd been resting while Minos went over the history, he had no idea of how the crown related to this situation.

"Oh yeah, I remember that." Cyborg stated with realization.

Robin then pointed towards the horns lining the back of the ancient ghost. "You can even see the stump left of the horn he used there."

"Okay, so if he's not a bad guy, then that means we can get back to kicken that other guy's butt right?" Beast Boy reasoned as he turned towards Faust.

Danny's anger reignited at the mention as he turned his gaze on the possessed Faust. His confidence was melting away as he watched the creature he summoned ignore his command so blatantly. "What do you think you're doing!? I commanded you to destroy them!" Ouroboros ignored the command and began to retract back into the void he'd crawled out of.

"Looks like you're on your own, Faust!" Danny stated with a smirk, but fury still evident on his face. He floated up to be level with him and the sorcerer floated back in response.

"I summoned you, Ouroboros! You will obey me!" He roared with a slight tone of panic.

The ancient ghost stopped just before pulling his head back in and flicked out his tongue again. _"The way in which you have summoned me prevents me from harming you, but I am in no way bound to your command you insolent fool!"_ He then continued on his way and the portal like void vanished after him.

Faust's frustration at the beast was interrupted by the cracking of knuckles as Danny made himself known once again. "Now, where was I?" He mused.

Faust growled in frustration as he prepared to defend himself. "Don't think you've won, just because of that, Halfling! I have more than enough power to fight you crown or no!" He raised up both of his hands and cast a spell. "Zurückschieben!" A violent and almost imperceptible wave of force shot forth towards the halfa. Danny was only slightly surprised by the attack, but was only pushed back about a foot or so in midair. The villainous necromancer almost thought he'd cast it wrong before seeing the columns far behind Phantom crumble at the force. "Binden!" He shouted next as wispy chains formed from the ground and bound Phantom from all forms of movement. His confident smirk only lasted a few seconds before the halfa tore the conjured chains with ease. Upon seeing the halfa approach again he threw up a barrier much like the one he'd employed when attempting to crush the titans before. Danny simply narrowed his eyes at the energy field and placed his hand on it. Faust was horrified when it began to crack under the pressure of the boy's strength alone. He busted free of his own barrier to put more space between him and the angry halfa. "Such power! Not even Pariah Dark could defend from my spells so easily!" Danny said nothing to him as he slowly approached yet again. His eyes were burning with determination, and it only grew with every move his enemy made. Faust felt himself running out of options now as he searched around the area. "Curses! Where are those Flizards when they are needed! Come forth! I command it!"

"You will find them to be in no shape the come to your aid villain!" A female voice boomed up from a gust of wind.

"Yes, I believe they all caught a bit of a chill down there!" Another familiar voice added in as a large skeletal claw took hold of the edge of the landmass. The dragon it brought with it wore a pleased expression as it pulled itself up with a needless beat off its wings. It wasn't very hard for Danny or the other Titans to realize it was Scott who had just arrived. Despite the strange green flame adorning his head, the red bandanna he usually wore stood out prominently around one of his neck bones. Once he landed, several dozen FarFrozen jumped from his back prepared for attack.

"It is time for you to realize it is the end. Defeat is nigh." Wind proclaimed as she appeared from the initial gust. Her brothers quickly took their places beside her in agreement.

"Awesome!" Beast Boy shouted as he pumped his fist. Needless to say, his excitement was shared by his teammates as they looked to their growing pool of allies.

"It's about time!" Cyborg shouted in victory.

Danny smirked at him as he tightened his fist. "All out of tricks, huh?" Faust had no time to counter as Danny rammed his fist square into the man's face with no show of holding back. Faust slid back and onto the ground before Danny pile-drived his elbow into him. He rolled over in pain as Danny stood beside him. "And that wasn't even half of what I want to do." He grabbed him by the chain of his broken medallion and held him up. "You're going to pay for what you did to all those ghosts, my friends, and especially Raven." Danny growled out at the now frightened sorcerer. "But first.." Danny began as he lit up his fist. He phased his hand right into the man while Faust seemed to begin to babble incoherently. After a couple of long seconds, Danny was slowly able to tear the invading ghost from the victimized villain and tossed the human to the side. He held tight to Faust with a cold glare. Faust's true form was now visible with his light purple skin emblazoned with ancient markings, and the long white beard that framed his scarred face. The most notable thing though, were his eyes. They were a deep crimson, but the fear emanating from them was a stark contrast to their appearance.

"So that's the little weasel we've been dealing with?" Cyborg asked as he and the other titans approached Danny.

"Looks like it." Robin declared as he turned to face the unconscious sorcerer on the ground. "And this is our thief."

Beast Boy then crossed his arms as a thought came to him. "Okay, so we can send him to jail, but what about the ghost? Can you send a ghost to prison?"

Danny scoffed at the concept. "He doesn't deserve prison." But despite his own words, he threw the ghost down and froze him in place. "I'll figure something out."

"No need." A new voice stated as a small blue portal appeared. Clockwork floated out of it and was followed by three mysterious robed individuals. "Your part is done…. For now." He added in with a tease.

"Clockwork?"

"The regents!" Frostbite declared as he dashed Danny's way.

"The who?" Danny asked.

"The regents, Great One. They will resolve this matter as they have done before."

Danny was still pretty lost, but Robin quickly remembered. "Right, the regents. Those ghosts who imprisoned the last king." He looked up to Wind. "Right?"

She nodded. "Yes, they are the highest authority aside from the reigning king." The Regents quickly made their way over to the frozen specter and circled him.

"So…. What are they going to do?" Danny asked as he stood aside and watched.

Frostbite crossed his arms. "They will probably imprison him, but I do not know the means."

_"You who have made the gravest transgression of our realm, prepare for sentencing!"_ They stated in a strange language before breaking the ice that imprisoned him.

Faust only took a moment to clear his head before noticing the ghosts around him. "The Regents!?" He shouted in surprise, and obvious fear.

_"We the Regents whom have been entrusted with this realm's safety, will now cast you to purgatory! Your sentence will be nonexistence within this void."_

"Wait!" He implored before a portal opened under his feet and he was pulled inside.

The young heroes all simply watched for a moment before Robin went to grab the living Faust from the ground. "I guess this is the last thing we need to take care of."

Cyborg agreed with a nod. "Yeah, and he sure caused a whole lot of trouble."

"Yeah, more than most, but I think it's safe to say he's done." Robin finished as he cuffed the unconscious man.

"Okay, but how do we fix the sky?" Beast Boy questioned as he looked over the edge of the ruined castle. As if to answer his question the robed ghosts moved to surround the group. Before anyone could say anything though, a blinding flash washed over them. Suddenly it was gone and they all found themselves on top of a familiar building.

"Whoa…. We're back at Titan's Tower." Cyborg noted as he looked towards the snowy city backdrop. "And it's snowing….?"

"That was my doing." Wind claimed as she gestured towards the few Yeti on the building top with them. "I was able to add their abilities to my own to stop the Flizards in the city."

"You'll find them to be quite easy to gather up." Bones added in as he stretched his neck up to peer on the roof top.

"That just leaves the dimensional tear above us." Clockwork stated as he turned to the Regents. They all held their palms to the sky and as if by their will, the tear began to shrink.

"Cool, I don't think my thermos would have been big enough." Danny expressed with relief in his voice.

Once the ghosts finished a new portal appeared. _"Our work is finished here."_

Danny watched them begin on their way before realizing something. "Oh, hold on!" He requested as he flew over to them. They stopped and turned towards him silently. Danny reached up to the crown on his head and pulled it off. "Since you guys are basically in charge, you should have this." He stated as he held it out to them.

They all traded silent glances that would almost convey confusion if their faces were visible at all. _"It has chosen you."_

Danny raised a brow at the familiar statement before shaking his head. "Yeah, and it was a big help, but I really don't need it anymore. It's a powerful ghost artifact right, and it should be in the Ghost Zone anyway." A strange silence fell over them, and Danny really didn't know what to do about it. "Uh…."

_"Very well, until it is needed."_ One of them held out their hand much to Danny's relief.

While having the crown did allow him to finally beat Faust, he didn't need that much power anymore; it was more than he could handle. As Danny placed the crown in their hand it flared up violently. The flame grew out to engulf the four ghosts before quickly dying out completely. "What the heck was that?!" Danny wondered as he looked around and saw the crown was now nowhere to be seen. The Regents didn't wait for him to calm though as they shuffled through their portal home.

"The crown is a rather stubborn artifact, and prefers to do things its own way." Clockwork informed the young halfa. "Anyway, I believe you have other things to attend to." Clockwork then disappeared into his own portal while Danny was still trying to figure out what he meant.

* * *

After a few more hours, the Flizards that were frozen around the city were all gathered up, and then taken back to the Ghost Zone by Frostbite and his people. Dani, and Terra woke up in the infirmary a little worse for wear, but okay all things considered. Raven, however, had yet to awaken as a worried halfa watched over her by her bed. She had been in some sort of meditative healing state until just a few minutes ago, which drew the teen's attention. "How's she doing?" Asked Robin as he entered the infirmary to check on the couple. He had small band aid on his chin, but was fine aside from that.

"I don't know…. She hasn't woken up." Danny let out in worry. He rested his head on his palm. "What about the city?"

Robin gave a shrug as he took a spot standing by his friend. "Well those ghosts are gone, but it was a bit late in the season for snow. Not too much damage though." He then placed his hand on Danny's shoulder. "I'm sure she's fine, Phantom. Raven's been in her fair share of fights."

The reassurance didn't help much as Danny let out a breath. "I really hope you're right…."

"Anyway, Thunder, Lightning, and Wind are leaving. You should come and see them off." Danny raised a brow before looking back to Raven. "She'll be fine." Robin assured again prompting Danny to stand up. "I guess a few minutes couldn't hurt.

* * *

All but Raven convened outside the Tower to see off their comrades. Wind seemed to be waiting rather impatiently as Robin lead Phantom out the door. "Ah, Great One." Thunder stated as he approached. He clapped his hands together and bowed, an action which was mimicked by Lightning.

Danny quickly held up his hands to stop them. "You really don't have to do that."

"To do so would be a great show of disrespect, Great One." Wind informed as she approached him as well.

Danny winced at the name. "It really isn't….."

"Come on, Great One, why not?" Cyborg teased as he walked up behind him.

"Yeah, who wouldn't want a title like that?" Beast Boy added in.

Danny let out a sigh. "Not me…."

"I wanted to convey my appreciation for your assistance." Wind began as she addressed Danny. She then turned to look over all the other Titans. "All of you have my thanks."

"No problem." Robin answered for the group. "Just let us know if you need our help again."

"We would be happy to be of assistance." Starfire added in.

Wind gave a pleased nod as she motioned to her brothers. "Then I shall take my leave. Come, Thunder and, Lightning. We should go and tell our other siblings what has happened."

"Of course sister." Thunder obliged as he mounted his cloud. Lightning disappeared in a flash while Wind appearated into a gust. "Until we meet again my friends, and of course you as well, Great One."

Danny let out a groan as they flew off and then sighed. "I just can't win can I?"

"Hey, Great One, think fast!" Danny turned and was met with a pile of snow to his face. Dani had an armful of the snow that blanketed the area around the base of the tower. Terra sat crouched behind a small snow wall fending off shots from Beast Boy.

"Hey!" He whined playfully as he formed a snowball in his own hand. Dani flew back to dodge before firing another one. It didn't take long for the seven of them to get in on an all-out snow war regardless of their earlier battle or the late hour. In a few minutes time, Danny had them all pinned behind a snow wall as the free for all became a two team battle; Danny versus everyone else.

"Aw man! How is he winning!?" Beast Boy complained as he knocked some snow off his back.

"The guy makes snow, BB. Why are you surprised?" Cyborg stated as he balled up a large snowball.

"But it's six against one!"

"Hey guys! You ready to give up yet?" Danny taunted as he floated over his own large snow wall. "It's okay if you don't." He was met with a few snowballs as a response much to his own amusement. "Fine, be that way!" He shouted as he formed an armful of the projectile weapons. He tossed them all like a machine gun quickly hitting any teen who dared peek up to assault him again. The one-sided onslaught abruptly ended, however, as the snow titan felt a jolt of cold to the back of his head. He turned in bewilderment to see who it was. "How did you…. Get…. Behind…." He was in a state of shock as he looked to see Raven floating a few feet away with a handful of snow at the ready. "Raven!?"

His confused statement quickly got the other teen's attention as they rose over their wall to see. They then dashed over to see her with haste. "Good to see you're feeling better." Robin conveyed as he crossed his arms.

Starfire moved in to give her a hug. "Your recovery is most Joyful."

"Cut it out, Starfire." Raven grumbled as she pushed her away. This was a common reaction, so the Tamaranean quickly released her.

"Alright, so Raven's on our team!" Beast Boy shouted as he pointed to the still speechless halfa. "Get ready to taste defeat!" His cocky expression fell when Danny didn't respond. "Uh, Danny?" He muttered in slight confusion.

Again he was ignored as the halfa floated over to Raven. To the surprise of several Titans, he took her up into a hug that whisked her feet from the ground. "Raven." Danny repeated her name as he held her tightly.

When Raven made no attempt to be released, and instead hugged him back, the surprise only grew as Beast Boy looked on with a dropped jaw. "Dude! He's hugging Raven!"

He tried to explain to the equally surprised Cyborg. "I see it…. But I can't really believe it…"

Starfire seemed to be the first one to figure out what was going on as she clapped her hands together in realization. "Then it would seem Phantom was that special someone after all!"

Both boys turned to her in shock, as she simply beamed in happiness. "You've gotta be kidding…"

Terra looked on from a bit further back with Dani. "You know, when you mentioned they were dating…. I didn't really believe you."

Dani simply shrugged. "A picture's worth a thousand words right?"

"Whoa whoa whoa! Time out! Dating!?" Cyborg implored as he turned to the two younger teens. He quickly turned back to the secret couple. "When did that happen?"

Beast Boy looked at the unsurprised Robin and pointed an accusing finger. "You knew about this didn't you!?"

Robin simply backed away with a humble expression. "Take it easy, Beast Boy."

After the small ruckus, Danny finally realized what he'd just done as he let Raven back down to her feet. "Oops…." Raven simply let out a laugh at his regret. "Cat's out of the bag huh?"

"What do you think?" She posed back at him while still having a soft laugh.

"What are you laughing about?" Danny questioned with a grin. He then quickly silenced her with a kiss which easily came as a surprise to Raven, and their audience. All it took was one cat call from Cyborg and Danny made them both invisible to escape from the peanut gallery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this was a good way to end the fight. I didn't want some epic battle, and I also didn't want to draw it out anymore so this worked for me. I'm sure its obvious by now that I'm bad with fight scenes anyway. The next chapter will have some more closure as I close up a few loose ends. I figured the whole dating thing couldn't stay secret forever so I planned early on for it to come out at the end.=^-^=


	33. Back to Normalcy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THE ENDING!!!! Or is it?

Danny had spirited Raven away and back to his room for some peace and quiet. There he fell back on his bed while Raven sat crisscross facing him. "So what now?" She asked with a slightly amused tone.

"Now?" Danny asked as he took a breath. "Now we stay in here for the next few months until Cyborg and Beat Boy get bored waiting."

Raven rolled her eyes. "How about plan B?" She suggested.

"Hmm….. I guess morning will be long enough then…." He let out a sigh. "I can't believe I just did that."

Raven raised a brow. "You know they would have figured it out eventually."

"Yeah, but I didn't want to help it along! I was just so….. so relieved." He then turned to her and sat up. "I was so relieved you were okay." He reached out and brushed some hair from her face. "I don't know what I would have done if that jerk had gone any further."

Raven reflexively reached up to her neck as she thought about it. The last thing she saw before waking up, was Faust trying to choke her to death. "What exactly happened? When I woke up all Scott told me was that the fight was over and everyone else was outside."

Danny seemed surprised by that since he hadn't seen Scott since that that thing on the rooftop. "Well…. When I saw him choking you…. I just couldn't stop myself. I'm not completely sure how it happened, but I ended up with the crown. After that it was almost too easy to fight him… it was weird to be honest." Danny admitted with a confused expression. "Anyway though, Faust was taken care of by these Regent ghosts, and Robin sent the human Faust to Maximum security. I guess that just means we have nothing to worry about…. For the time being I mean." He then flopped down on the bed and raised a hand over his chest.

Raven watched as he clenched his hand curiously before reaching out for it. "You're still hurt from before aren't you?" She sounded slightly angry as she asked him that.

Danny shook his head and relaxed his hand. "No, I'm fine, Raven, really. It doesn't hurt at all anymore." He then let out a sigh as his eyes moved to gaze far off. "It just feels weird. I don't know, I mean I gave the crown to those Regent guys, and they did some hidey magic thing, but it still feels like I'm wearing it somehow. Not the power part, but just the feeling. Like when you wear a hat too long and finally take it off?"

Raven seemed intrigued by what he was describing, but not completely sure what he meant. "The Crown of Fire is supposed to be the most powerful artifact in the ghost zone. Maybe this is just a lingering effect." She stated with a calm expression. To be honest, she was just happy he wasn't hurt anymore, but that doesn't mean it didn't bother her.

"What about you?" Danny asked rather suddenly. "Your voice sounds a little strained."

She reached back up to her neck. "It's a little sore, but fine." She explained as she pulled down her cloak.

Considering the force Faust was choking her with, the absence of bruising filled Danny with relief. "Good….." He let out a sigh. "One less thing to worry about then." He seemed to relax more and close his eyes. "Finally…." His morph ring then formed at his waist and enveloped him. "I can relax." Raven couldn't help but laugh slightly at his somewhat dorky expression. "Again with the laughing?" Danny asked without opening his eyes. He then quickly snagged her hand and pulled her down with him. "You should relax too. I know you're tired." He declared from beside her. She blushed as she lay on her side facing Danny. While he was still lying where he was, his left hand still held her own tightly. Considering what had gone on only a few hours ago, this peaceful moment they were sharing was more than welcome; just the two of them.

* * *

After a few days of rest, Titans Tower was almost business as usual as Danny entered the main room for breakfast. It was a little early for him, but he didn't mind. Dani instantly turned to him from the bar. "Morning, Danny!" Terra was sitting next to her drinking orange juice.

"Hey, so I guess you two are almost ready?"

"Yeah, we're just getting some breakfast first." Terra explained. "It'll be awhile before we make a stop once we get going." Dani and Terra decided rather quickly not to stay at the tower despite their obvious welcome. Danny easily saw they were like kindred spirits in how they love to travel. He didn't know much about Terra, but that didn't stop him from seeing how they were alike. Of course not all of the Titans were as supportive about their leaving. Beast Boy seemed more than depressed by the revelation. He sat on the other end of the bar with his head slumped onto his arms.

Danny took a seat next to him and pat him on the back. "Still depressed, huh?" He replied with a unintelligible grumble and a sigh. "You know they will come back right?"

"Yeah…" He'd talked to her last night about it, but couldn't get her to stay.

"Come on, BB, I got breakfast!" Cyborg tried to cheer him up with some waffles, but when Beast Boy wouldn't look up he placed them on top his head instead.

"Hey!" Beast Boy called out as he grabbed the plate. "Do I look like a table to you?"

Cyborg looked down on him with a smirk. "Nah, you clash too much with the furniture."

The changeling was unamused as he crossed his arms. "Says the guy who sleeps on a slab of metal." He grumbled out.

"Relax, Beast Boy." He heard as a fist met his shoulder. Terra stood at his side with a carefree expression. "We'll be back to say hi, and hang soon. I told you we had already planned out all these places we were going to see months ago."

Danny gave a nod. "Oh right, that world wonder tour?" He turned to Dani. "That's what you called it right?"

"Well maybe not the whole world, but lots of cool places. I'll send you postcards." Dani explained as she finished off her eggs. She then got up and walked over to Terra. "Besides, you don't need us around right? Seems to me you've got plenty of hero power right here."

"You two about to leave?" Robin asked as he entered with Starfire on his heels.

"Yeah, we were just getting something to eat first." Terra explained.

"Although I will miss you, I hope you are well on your journey, and wish you good fortune!" Starfire exclaimed as she took them both into a spine shattering hug.

"Uh Star… I think you're hurting them…" Danny pointed out as Robin tried to get her attention to the struggling teens in her grasp. She let them go and they stood shakily trying to shake it off.

"Thanks, Starfire…" Terra let out as she stretched her back a bit.

Dani then turned to Danny and grabbed him in a hug. "See you soon, Cuz."

"Alright but do you have everything? How about that envelope I gave you for emergencies?"

Dani rolled her eyes. "Everything is packed. Me and Terra checked it all last night." She then crossed her arms. "Did I ever tell you that you worry too much?"

"If only I didn't have too." Danny teased back. "Anyway, don't forget the post cards."

Dani rolled her eyes again before heading to the door. "I'm going ahead and bring everything down to the door. Meet me there when you're ready, Terra."

"Gotcha." She responded with a wave. "Come here a sec, Beast Boy." She then requested as she turned back his way.

When BB got up, Robin and Starfire sat down. Danny, who'd gotten up only moments before, sat back down where he was. "What are you doing with that?" Robin inquired as he saw the halfa remove the lid of the electric tea kettle.

"Hmm? Oh, well I just figured I'd make some herbal tea." He explained as he turned the can of tea leaves to show them.

"Making some tea for your girlfriend?" Cyborg said with a tease as he turned to him.

"Yeah, I am." Danny stated clearly though with a green blush.

Cyborg's amusement died at the honest answer, since he was expecting a flustered reply. "Almost takes the fun out of it…." He grumbled out as he got back to making his own breakfast.

Meanwhile Terra was trying to cheer up the still mopey Beast Boy. "I know you want me to stay, but I already told you why I can't."

"Yeah…." Beast Boy responded in a lack luster tone.

"But, maybe when we get back from the Grand Canyon we could…. Get back to that rain check?" She asked with a blush.

Beast Boy's frown instantly melted away, and he nodded like crazy. "Of course! Nothing could possibly get in the way of that!" He declared with confidence. He was then thrown through a loop as Terra surprised him with a light kiss on the cheek.

"See you then, Beast Boy!" She shouted as she dashed for the door. "See you guys later!" She shouted for everyone else as she left the room. She got several happy waves as they saw her off. The minute she was gone, however, the three male heroes turned to Beast Boy with playful smirks.

"So, Beast Boy, when's the wedding?" Cyborg teased.

This elicited the flustered response he wanted as Beast Boy tried to respond. "What… what do you mean!? She was just saying good bye."

"Uh-huh, yeah sure." Cyborg responded with sarcasm.

"You know, Beast Boy, hiding it is way harder than you think." Danny tried to advise as he pulled out a cup for the tea.

"And don't expect us to leave you alone about it anytime soon." Robin revealed, all too ready for some pay back.

Much to Beast Boy's relief, Raven entered the room to end the teasing. "Good morning, Raven!" Beast Boy stated as he eagerly changed the subject.

She simply raised a brow and returned the greeting in her standard monotone. "Morning." She then turned to the counter to see the others along with Danny. She quickly found a seat beside him as he passed her a cup of hot tea.

"I went ahead and made some up for you. I figured you'd be up soon." He explained as she took the cup. "You missed Terra and Danielle though."

"I ran into Terra in the hall actually." Raven revealed as she took a sip.

"So you tease me for getting a date, but not the obvious date happening right here!?" Beast Boy complained as he pointed at the couple. He was trying to point out how they seemed to be talking like they were the only ones there, but got no response from Cyborg or Robin. "Aww come on!" When he went to grumble again, he quickly found his breakfast slumped over his head minus the plate.

"You'd think he'd learn by now." Cyborg stated aloud to no one in particular. Raven and Danny simply continued on like he'd said nothing at all, while Beast Boy suffered the consequences of messing with a girl who wasn't a morning person.

* * *

Later that same day, Danny was looking for a certain ghost whom he hadn't seen in a few days. Scott, for whatever reason, seemed to be avoiding him. "Scott!" He called out as he turned a corner. He scratched the back of his head as he thought over where he'd be. "He was easier to find before…."

"Danny?" Beast Boy questioned as he came up behind the halfa in the hall. "What's up?"

Danny turned to him with a slightly frustrated expression. "I'm looking for Scott. I haven't seen him in days, and I need to talk to him."

Beast Boy rubbed his chin as he gave it some serious thought. "I think I remember seeing him last night, but not since then…. Hold on!" He finished as he thought of an idea. He then turned into a blood hound and began sniffing around. He dashed off down the hall before accidentally running into to the wall at the end. He changed back as he shook the stars from his eyes. "Oww…"

"Beast Boy!" Danny called out as he caught up with him. "You okay?"

Beast Boy shook his head a bit before looking at the wall. "Yeah, but I forgot about the walking through walls thing. That'll make it hard to follow his scent."

Danny raised a finger to his chin as an idea came to him. "Yeah, but I think I have a better idea." About ten minutes later Danny brought out Cujo from his cavern home and into the tower.

"Oh yeah!" Beast Boy stated as he remembered the dog. "He can sniff him out even through walls."

"Yeah, I figured if you could follow him, then Cujo could too." Danny explained in agreement. He set him down on the floor of the hall. "Alright, Cujo, Ghost Hunt!" He commanded as he floated up and snapped his fingers. Cujo turned his head a moment before setting his nose to the ground.

"Wait, so you taught him a command for Ghost Hunting?" Beast Boy asked with an amused tone.

Danny gave a nod, as he watched Cujo search for a scent. "Yeah, he'll automatically track down the closest ghost aside from me." Danny got ready when he saw the ghost dog's ears perk up, and then dash away seconds later.

"Good Luck!" The changeling shouted as Danny flew to keep up with the spectral hound.

The dog seemed to go in several random directions as well as phase up and down through floors. "The heck is going on here?" After several minutes Cujo dashed straight up and Danny followed up through the roof of the Tower. He spotted Cujo quickly as he seemed to be pulling at something with his teeth. "Cujo?" He floated closer as Cujo growled playfully with his invisible prey. "Wait... Scott? Is that you?" When Cujo was suddenly jerked up in response, Danny was almost positive he was right. "Cujo! Big Dog!" The little green dog obeyed by expanding to his full monstrous size which instantly pulled down the invisible ghost.

"Drat!" He heard as Scott became visible with his leg hanging out of Cujo's teeth. He looked angry yet flustered as he tried to yank his leg free. "Hold on! Please! If you could- One day maybe….. Just a bit more. I could have….." He sputtered out with a sigh at the end. "Oh bother..."

"Just calm down, Scott." Danny requested as he looked on the ghost in slight confusion. "Cujo, drop him." With a bark, Scott was free, and tumbled to the ground. Danny squatted down in front of him as the ghost pushed himself up on his wings. "Now what's wrong, Scott? Why are you avoiding me?" That was made all too clear by the strange path Cujo took and his attempt to not be seen.

"Well I…." He turned away with a shamed expression. "I was waiting for some kind of emergency, so I could help. I… I wanted to show you I was still useful." He admitted as he stood up. "I thought maybe if I helped you catch some criminals, you'd want to keep me around."

Danny raised a brow. "So you want to stay with me? Even though the whole thing with Faust is over?"

Scott was hard pressed for a response, as he looked anywhere but to the halfa. "Well I…. I thought….." He seemed sad as he trailed off. He'd always known the thing with Phantom was temporary. Once he found Young Blood again, he'd be back to being his tiny parrot self, and he wasn't completely against the idea. There was that part of him, however, that liked the power and company the Phantom brought. Even through all his complaining, he appreciated Phantom… at the very least. Once he heard about Young Blood though, he began to realize his inevitable fate of being cast aside. That's when he came to the conclusion of staying with Phantom. Certainly if he was useful enough, he'd be willing to keep him around.

"This is about Young Blood isn't it?" Danny asked with a serious expression. "Danielle told me about what happened yesterday. Young Blood was the one who helped them escape in Colorado."

Scott simply tapped his wings together with a distraught look. "Well he…. He….." He then looked up at Danny with a pleading look. "Just let me try. Just one try is all I ask, and you'll see, I can be well worth keeping around." He expressed with desperate confidence.

"Uh no, I'm good thanks."

Bones jumped up into the air. "But-but I promise! You haven't seen all I can do! Please, Phantom, you have no idea how hard it is to find a master strong enough and willing to support a ghoul like me!" His panic was moving to hysteria as he floated higher up.

Danny stood up to follow and took hold of one of his talons to keep him from floating further up. "Now hold on a sec, Scott, just calm down. I don't plan to just get rid of you now, especially since you can't go back to Young Blood."

"You're not?" Scott asked in a slightly baffled tone. "But you said…."

"Actually, I just didn't want you to think you had to try and seem useful." He explained as he released the now calmer ghost. "From what I've seen and heard, you've been more than just useful. You watched out for Raven and the others when I was captured, helped them snap me out of that guys mind control, even fought in an almost losing battle against an army of Flizards." Danny stated as he counted on his fingers. "As far as I'm concerned, you have nothing to prove."

Scott appeared flabbergasted by the revelation as he floated back a bit. "Y-you're serious? You're not just…. For real?"

Danny raised a brow with an amused expression. "Yeah, actually I was looking for you most of the afternoon so I could ask if you wanted to stick around. I mean, after all you've done to help out, I should at least give you the choice right?"

"Yes!" Scott replied as he held Danny's face with his wings and got right up in it. "Oh gracious, yes!" He let go and flapped happily around the slightly annoyed halfa. "You won't regret this, Phantom, I assure you!" He gave a salute. "You'll never want for any other assistant than me!" He then perched on his shoulder and stood up straight.

"Alright, then I guess that answers that." Danny let out with a breath. "But one thing first." He stated as he brought him over to the edge of the roof top. He had Scott jump down as he reached into his suit pocket.

"Anything, just name it!" Scott replied readily.

"Well then, if you're going to be with me, you'll have to look the part." Scott raised a curious brow as he saw the black cloth Danny held up. "That bandanna of yours seems about ready to fall off, so I got you a new one." Danny explained as he pointed to the torn and ratty red cloth Scott still had tied around his neck.

Somewhere between the fights and his sudden jump in size in his last fight, his bandanna had taken a severe beating. "Oh… I hadn't noticed…."

He allowed Danny to take his old bandanna and replace it with the solid black one with no fuss at all. "How's that?" The halfa asked as he finished tying the cloth and let Scott look for himself.

"Hmm? I suppose it's not a bad color on me?" He thought aloud as he flew up a bit. "I rather like it."

"Good, then that's all I really wanted to talk to you about."

Scott was surprised as he flew to catch up to Danny who'd turned to leave. "So you didn't want me to do anything more?"

Danny gave a shrug. "Not right now no. Just keep on like you have been. Aside from that you can go exploring or people watching." He then turned to him. "But no terrorizing got it?" He stated sternly.

"Of course, of course. Perish the thought….. uh…. What about on Fright Night? I mean it is all about scaring the daylights out of people."

Danny furrowed his brow. "Are you talking about Halloween?"

He nodded. "Yes as humans call it. The denizens of the Ghost Zone refer to it as Fright Night. The whole thing was started by the Fright Knight after all, but its harmless fun I assure you."

Danny let out a sigh. "We'll talk about it."

* * *

"So it would seem you have found a foolish ghost from which to feed off of on a more permanent basis." Minos said with a chuckle as he looked down on the bony bird before him.

Scott simply scoffed at him. "I do not feed off of anyone you sickly bovine!" He then turned with his wings crossed. "Now what did you want anyway? I refuse to remain if all you plan to do is insult me."

Minos raised a brow. "As if you have a more pressing concern at the moment?"

Scott paused at the thought. Minos was right, and Jump City had been strangely quiet for over a week now. Danny didn't ask for him to do much of anything aside from little things here and there. It was a tad boring if he was completely honest. "Well…. I… I could be people watching if I wanted. I'm allowed to leave the tower now." He bragged with a petty tone.

Minos let out a boisterous laugh at the smaller ghost. "Oh, you are so amusing. You act as if you've never had such a freedom before." He declared while holding his stomach. "But I did not ask you here for my amusement. I merely wished to ask you something." Minos revealed with a sneaky tone. He raised his hand to his chin as he leaned down to Scott. "Now that you have made a more permanent arrangement with the halfa, I wanted to know how you feel."

Scott raised a very confused brow. "How I feel?" He took a moment to think about. "Well, aside from being rather bored, I suppose I could also be grateful; a little bit at least." He reveal with a smug tone.

Minos rolled his eyes. "That is not what I meant, parasite. I was talking about your energy connection. Has it changed at all since it was first established?"

The ghost assistant seemed puzzled by the question as he took a few moments to think it over. "Well it has changed of course, especially during that fight we had last week. I grew so fast, and the power was fantastical."

Minos wore a smirk. "Hmm yes, that was obviously a result of Phantom wearing the crown. Once his power was magnified, so was yours. Now though, how has it changed?"

"Hmm? How do you mean then?" Scott questioned back with an uncertain tone.

"I'm talking about from that fight until right now." Minos clarified with a slightly impatient tone.

"Well," Scott started with uncertainty. "I don't really feel any different. All I know is that I was suddenly smaller again, and that well of power was suddenly just out of reach." Scott then rubbed his chin with his wing. "It's like it is being muffled or something. Very strange." He finished as he thought deeply on it himself. Normally when his host loses power he knows right away, but that was far too sudden. Could it have been the shear amount of power? He'd never been so strong before in any of his contracts. He then noticed Minos writing away in his book while deep in thought. "What is this all about anyway?"

Minos let out a chuckle without looking at him. "Well if you must know, I'm trying to collect some information about the halfa. One has never worn the crown before, and I simply had to know its effects on a half breed. Unfortunately, he doesn't like me much. He refused my questions, and Raven won't let me force it out of him. Also, since Raven herself does not know, I cannot confiscate the information via the terms of our contract."

Bone's jaw dropped in a gasp. "You were using me!? How dare you!"

Minos let out another chuckle. "I would have thought that was obvious. What other reason would I request the presence of a parasite if not for its master's condition?"

Scott flew up in his face. "I can't assume anything with a slimy rapscallion as you!" He then floated back. "I merely thought to be peaceable since we would likely be spending the next several decades among the same company." He then turned away in disgust. "But I shall make no such gesture again!" He shouted before phasing through the door of Raven's room.

Minos only continued to chuckle at Scott's response. "Oh parasite, should your contract be as mine is, I assure you it will be far longer than that. Of course, I'll let you figure that out on your own."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG! It's over! So Dani and Terra have gone back to adventuring, while the Titans of the tower get back to business as usual. I like ending on a calm note cause it doesn't pull out a cliff hanger. (I'm nice, right?) 
> 
> Now, you may have noticed that when looking at the chapter numbers, there appear to be 2 missing? How could this possibly be the end is there are 2 more, you ask? Well, I have bonus content! Single chapter stories that go along with this crossover just for fun! While I only have 2 at the moment, if you have anything you'd enjoy reading please feel free to propose it. I may actually make it happen.=^-^=


	34. Bonus - Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ghosts are popping up left and right and Danny just wants Halloween to be over. Meanwhile Beast Boy wants to make a haunted house.

It was only a few days before Halloween, or as Scott would call it "Fright Night", and Danny was starting to dread all the problems he'd be dealing with. It had quickly become apparent that ghosts seemed to love this day even though it was basically a candy conspiracy. It just happened to fall on the same night as the ancient ghost holiday. What a coincidence... The halfa rolled his eyes with a groan as his ghost sense went off yet again. "Come on..."

"What are you groaning about?" Scott whined as he hiccuped a puff of cold air. "At least you can talk properly. I've been having these rid-" He hiccuped another puff of cold air while Danny's was just a quiet puff. "These ridiculous interruptions all day!" He finished in annoyance.

"Don't get mad at me. I didn't know that's how your powers worked when we first set this deal up." Danny countered as he flew up over the tower with Scott just behind. "You just have to get used to it like I did." He then scoped the horizon towards the city as he felt out which way the ghost was.

Scott rolled his eyes as he hiccuped again. "Wonderful."

Danny looked back at him with a sour expression before shaking his head and turning back to the city. He hadn't really changed in the last few months. He still whined like a toddler at every little inconvenience. At the same time though, he did go out of his way to do whatever was asked of him even if he didn't like it. "Well, if you really want someone to blame for those hiccups why not all the ghosts that keep popping up? I'd certainly welcome an hour of peace and quiet."

Scott shrugged as he noticed Danny fly off towards the possible ghost. "Truth be told, I can't really blame them. I myself would love to be out scaring people too." He wore a mischievous grin as he said that.

"Oh, I think you've made that pretty clear." Danny responded with a dry expression.

* * *

Starfire looked on at the bright orange vegetable in curiosity. "So what is it that this fruit does exactly? I have been seeing them quite often recently." She asked as she thought it over.

"It's just a decoration, Starfire." Cyborg responded as he leaned over the couch with the remote in hand.

Robin turned from the bar and nodded. "Yeah, Star, lots of people put pumpkins out on their doorsteps during October for Halloween."

Starfire turned to him in excitement. "Oh yes, a most interesting Earth holiday!"

Robin shook his head with a smile at her reaction before turning to Cyborg. "So anyway, Cyborg, why'd you pick one up?"

Cyborg waved his hand with a shrug. "I mentioned this morning to Phantom that BB and I were goin to town, he asked if I'd grab one." He then rubbed his chin. "It sounded really important with the way he asked." He then shrugged again. "Anyway we ran into one of those seasonal farm stalls near the park and I figured it wasn't a bad idea. I mean it is almost Halloween." Though normally none of the Titans bothered since a pumpkin was too small a decoration to be seen from the city.

"Where is Danny anyway? I was hoping to get his help coming up with creepy ideas for a haunted house." Beast Boy wondered as he looked around the room holding a roll of paper.

"Haunted house? Oh you're talking about that contest they're having out at the docks right? I heard about that, but the prizes are pretty big. What makes you think you stand a chance of winning?" Cyborg asked the changeling with a superior smirk.

"This!" He unrolled his paper to depict a poorly drawn haunted house design which only got Cyborg laughing like crazy. "Hey! I already said I was going to get help, and we have a real live ghost in the house. What's scarier than that?"

"But Danny is our friend, why would you be afraid of him?" Starfire wondered as she looked at the bad drawing.

"Well, because he's a ghost." Beast Boy informed feeling rather smart.

Robin was quick to help her understand as he gestured to the drawing. "He's trying to make a haunted house, and that means there are supposed to be ghosts around. It's just something people put together for fun around this time of year."

"But I thought earthlings watched several frightening movies together with the corn of popping and candies." She pointed out thinking on what they did the previous year.

"Well, we do that too. There are lots of things you can do on Halloween, not just movies." The boy wonder informed.

"Yeah, Starfire. We could go out to see the competition this year though. It ought to be pretty fun." He once again gave Beast Boy a teasing grin since he knew the green teen wasn't scary.

Starfire seemed happy with the idea as she turned to the quiet Raven. She was reading a book as always. "And what do you think we should do, Raven?"

"Oh, I wouldn't bother. I asked what she was gonna do before, and she tried to get me to read some book." Beast Boy interrupted as he rolled up his plans. "Besides, she probably has plans with her boy friend." He tried to tease though Raven didn't seem to care. She simply turned a page in her book and kept reading. It was mildly frustrating how quickly both Danny and Raven grew to ignore teasing, but it still felt fun to try.

"I told you no. If I have to worry about you scaring people after I catch the stupid ghost what's the point?" Danny complained as he entered the room with Scott right behind.

"Aww... but how am I to have any fun? Every ghost in the Ghost Zone will be having fun but me!"

Danny rolled his eyes. "Stop exaggerating and take this back to my room." He countered as he handed off the thermos. Scott took it with a pout and a few mutterings as he left. "Geez, he's persistent." Danny grumbled as he turned to everyone else.

"So you got the ghost huh? How many is that already?" Cyborg wondered as the tired halfa sat at the bar.

"I lost count."

"Then how about today?" BB asked after.

"I lost count." Danny responded yet again. "I wish they'd wait till Halloween, at least then I wouldn't have to worry as much since people are already trying to scare each other."

"I'm kind of surprised there are so many ghosts since we've never had this kind of problem before." Robin thought aloud.

"It probably had something to do with the giant tear into their dimension months ago." Raven finally spoke, though she turned another page to show she was still reading.

"Wouldn't put it past them to take advantage of the opportunity." Danny agreed with a sigh.

"So what is it that you plan to do with this festive orange fruit?" Starfire asked both changing the subject and sating her own curiosity. She stood aside to show the gourd at the end of the counter.

"Oh, thanks, Cyborg. I was hoping to get one days ago, but well..." He let out a sigh before getting up to inspect it. "And if you must know, Starfire, I'm going to carve a face in it and stick it by the front door like everyone else."

She looked down at it and then back to him. "Oh..." She'd seen several already but it was still confusing. "What is its purpose in being placed at the door?"

"It's just for decoration, Star." "To keep the Fright Knight away." Both Danny and Robin responded at the same time.

Robin, realizing the halfa's response was very different from his own, turned to him with a raised brow. "What?"

Danny turned the gourd around a bit. "To keep the Fright Knight away. I mean it wouldn't make very good decoration since no one could see it from the city." Danny explained as he lit up his hand blue to create a carving knife.

"The Fright Knight?"

"Isn't that the guy who invaded the town with his skeleton army?" Cyborg inquired with a hand to his chin.

Danny gave a nod as he began to cut the opening in the top. "Yeah, but the army isn't his."

Beast Boy looked at the halfa's carving work with a skeptical expression. "And how exactly does a pumpkin scare away an evil flaming ghost with a sword that can send you another dimension?" That guy was scary, but this wasn't...

Danny opened up the top and began scrapping the guts into a bowl he pulled out. "Well he's the spirit of Halloween, and the only thing that can seal his power is putting his sword into a pumpkin." The halfa explained rather calmly as if it wasn't anything new.

Beast Boy jabbed him with his paper. "Then why didn't this come up when that guy invaded!?"

Danny turned to him with a raised brow. "Where were we going to get a pumpkin in January?" He asked, and Beast Boy's point quickly crumbled.

"He does have a point, but I wish we'd at least known about that weakness." Robin voiced as he sat down next to the halfa.

"I guess, but it wasn't really important at the time. It wouldn't have changed anything." He looked into the gourd and scraped a bit more. "Plus, he normally only goes on a rampage near Halloween. Fear makes him stronger, and with all the ghosts out scaring people he's got plenty to feed off of."

"It is quite wondrous that a fruit could have such power." Starfire commented as she continued to watch.

"I guess they aren't just for decoration." Robin noted as he thought about it. "And people have been doing this for hundreds of years so it kind of makes sense."

Danny nodded again. "Yeah, it started with the Fright Knight."

"Oh! Are you going to tell the story of the Fright Knight?" Scott asked in obvious excitement.

Danny turned to him. "Well, I wasn't planning on it-"

"Oh you mean like a ghost story?" Beast Boy interrupted in interest. "This could be perfect inspiration for my haunted house."

Danny turned back to him with a strange expression of exasperation. "Trust me, using the Fright Knight to help you with a haunted house is a really, really bad idea, Beast Boy." He couldn't help thinking back on one of his dumber moments when he was in that position. He then turned the pumpkin around a bit to finish off the inside. Once that was done he started carving the face.

"Come on, what's scarier than the spirit of Halloween for a Halloween haunted house?" The changeling defended.

"Bad idea." Danny deadpanned as he pressed in an eye he'd cut out.

"But a nice ghost story isn't, Phantom. If you won't tell it, I will." Scott countered as he perched on the counter. "First, however, we need some decent atmosphere. It's far too bright in here."

"I'm on it." Cyborg offered as he closed the blinds of the living room. The room was quickly blacked out which frustrated two of their number.

The only light radiated faintly from Danny and Scott. "No, I wasn't in danger of cutting myself at all." Danny remarked as he lit up the room with his ghost ray. An agitated grunt was all that came from Raven before she slammed her book shut loud enough for all to hear.

"Don't be such a stick in the mud you two. What's Fright Night without a good scary story?" Bones asked innocently.

"Halloween isn't until Friday, Scott." Danny corrected as Starfire supplied light so he could work with both of his hands. Thanks, Star." He finished the second eye while the other titans pulled up chairs nearby to listen.

"Now let's see, I suppose I should start with when he worked under Pariah. You see back then he wasn't called the spirit of Halloween." He explained. "Though very few accounts of that time are still around since it was so long ago. He was a feared being none the less, and lived only for the thrill of killing any who feared him." He wore a cruel expression as he stood close to the light trying to seem scary. "It was said he wouldn't kill his victims until he could sense their fear. Thus at this time he was called the Lord of Fear."

"This is starting to sound cheesy, Scott. Are you making this up?" Danny asked as he started on the mouth.

"Of course not! Any other ghost would know this too."

"Well, that's not how Frostbite tells it." The halfa countered as he pointed his knife skeptically.

Scott rolled his eyes. "As if he has any flare for storytelling."

"Come on, Danny, just let him tell the story." Robin encouraged finding it pretty interesting.

"Sure, whatever." He allowed while still not agreeing with Scott's approach.

"Ah, now where was I before I was so rudely interrupted?" He started again with a vocal jab of irritation. "He was called the Lord of Fear, and of course he served under the reigning ghost king at the time, Pariah Dark. It was supposedly he who acquired the Crown of Fire after the defeat of King Cold who was slain by Pariah. Now the true story of the Fright Knight begins centuries after the Tyrant's defeat." He noticed Danny seemed to be finished with his Jack-o-lantern and so he moved to perch on the stem. "What a perfect perch..." He noted suddenly breaking his dramatic tone and eliciting an eye roll from the halfa. "Anyway, I suppose a few of you may have heard of an old human holiday know as Samhain? It was practiced several centuries ago in relation to the harvest."

He received only one nod from the group. "I knew it was related to the harvest, but not what it was called." Robin explained.

"Yes, well there is a mythological figure worshiped on this day who was also called Lord of the Dead. You see, this time ushered in the darker portion of the year, and humans believed that also meant that spirits could more easily travel to this world."

"If you're wondering, yes portals spawn more often around this time of year." Danny interjected in reference to the story though the smirk gave his ulterior motive away.

"I'm telling this, Phantom!" Scott squawked as he moved to peck at the hero.

Danny easily dodged with a chuckle. "Then tell it already."

"Okay, so ghosts really could come into our world easier? What does that have to do with the Fright Knight?" Beast Boy asked to get the story to continue.

"Everything." Scott responded with a dark chuckle getting back into his story. "People feared the spirits, and of course, the Lord of the Dead since he was thought to rule them. It was common for humans to leave offerings and the like to appease them. This of course, after some many years of practice, resulted in something quite unprecedented." He was happy he had everyone's attention at this point as he held his dramatic pause. "For you see all that fear didn't go unnoticed. After the fall of Pariah Dark, all of his armies were put to rest, and the Lord of Fear was sealed away. All of the fear the humans felt directed at ghosts awakened him, and gave him the power to break away from the seal. He followed all of that fear and tore right into the human world where he began his reign of terror. He spent days tearing through one village after another soaking the land with blood, and filling the air with the fear he desired. It didn't matter if you were a child, and adult, or an animal, he just wanted the fear. It was like his own harvest festival only it was fear instead of-"

"Scott, maybe move on with the story?" Danny suggested when he saw the ghost getting a little too into the 'fear' part.

The bird scowled at him before continuing. "Oh fine... Anyway, it went on like that until the actual day Samhain. That is when his power peaked for all people of the land knew him, and feared his wrath. As with any fear monger, however, there always rises one who would work to end it. For the Fright Knight this came in the form a small group of human mystics. They knew they would never be able to destroy the Fright Knight since they truly believed he was lord of the dead, but like all spirits they attempted an offering to appease him." He then pointed his beak at the pumpkin he sat upon. "And their offering was one of these. Yes, they attempted to quell the Fright Knight's hunger for fear with a pumpkin." He revealed with a chuckle. He got several confused expressions which was what he was going for. "Yes I know is sounds foolish, and that's exactly how the Fright Knight responded. It is said he was so angry at the gesture he burned the surrounding fields and plunged his blade into the offending gourd for good measure before setting sights on the humans. That was his folly, however. The mystics expected this reaction, of course, and almost counted on it, for you see, the pumpkin was a trap. They cast a spell on it that would curse the Fright Knight upon contact with his blade. The curse dictated the from that moment on, should his blade plunge into any pumpkin, one need only chant the curse, and he shall be resealed." He finished looking rather proud of himself despite several interruptions.

Robin found himself looking at the others before turning back to Scott. "Is that it?"

Scott nodded. "Of course. Obviously the humans were able to seal him away. By now you may have realized that the tradition humans have of placing jack-o-lanterns outside their doors was originally not for decoration but to ward away the Fright Knight. Should he see one outside your door, then you knew his weakness and he would do well to avoid your house." The ghost explained astutely while gesturing to the decoration. "Ever since then many ghosts have wanted to start their own reign of terror, but really it's for fun not because we want fear. It's just fun to scare the snot out of humans." He chuckled fondly at that thinking of his previous years with Young Blood.

He received a flick on the head in response. "Cut it out, Scott."

"Okay, so that guy was way bad, but it's not like I can't still get some ideas based on that story." Beast Boy reiterated as he looked over his plans in the low light.

"I still don't think you should try, but I'm not going to stop you. Just don't try asking the Fright Knight directly if, in some strange twist, you run into him." Danny countered which caused a shiver to go up BB's spine at the thought.

"Okay, so you said you need to put his sword in a pumpkin and recite a spell right?" Robin inquired of the small story teller.

Scott gave a nod. "Precisely, though I don't suppose many humans actually know it in this day and age."

"Do you know it?" The boy wonder asked.

"Uh well... actually no.. I don't believe I've heard the spell before now that I think about it." Scott responded with a curious tone.

"To cease the storm, to end the fear, the sword must sheath in pumpkin near." Danny recited for him after lighting his jack-o-lantern's candle. "The spell contains the instructions basically."

Scott turned to him with a raised brow. "Something tells me you learned that out of necessity instead of caution."

"And something tells me, you'll have to keep wondering." The halfa quipped back.

Raven was quick to get the lights once it was all over so she could continue her book. "Geez Raven, you wanna go back to your book after a story like that?" Beast Boy asked in exasperation. She simply ignored him however and he looked over the cover. "Sleepy Hollow? Geez, sounds boring. You should try scary stories for Halloween." He then went back to his plans for his haunted house.

* * *

For the next few days, the team saw less and less of the halfa due to his ghost hunting. Though his friends offered him help most of the time he turned them down. The ghosts popping up were pretty weak, and the others should stay ready should a real problem come up... at least that's what he told them. Raven had been scarce at the tower as well, and it was eventually assumed they were using the opportunity for themselves. Halloween was now upon Jump city as the team of heroes minus two headed down towards the docks. "Come on, BB, don't be like that. I told you this contest was competitive." Cyborg tried to console as the changeling hung his head.

"Yeah, but I didn't even get to try." When he signed up he had to submit his design for approval before getting a spot in the contest.

"Maybe submitting a design done in crayon wasn't your best idea." The larger teen suggested trying not to laugh at what Beast Boy displayed as his final product.

"I'd have to agree, Beast Boy. Something like this needs a more professional touch." Robin added in. He then gestured to the first haunted house as they passed it. "See there?" It looked like an old slaughter house, and the sounds of a chainsaw echoed out with screams to follow. "They didn't just go with the standard stuff like cob webs and ghosts."

"So you are sure no one is in need of our assistance?" Starfire wondered as she turned to each scream she heard.

"Positive, Star. On Halloween getting scared is half the fun."

The tameranean suddenly looked excited. "Then we should go and enjoy the fun of screaming as well."

"Okay, so which one should we try. According to the directory over there, the contest has nine entries." He walked over to the information table and was handed a guide containing info on all of them. "Let's see here..."

"I guess that one is Slaughter House 5." Robin noted seeing the name.

"Oh, what about the Walk in the Dark?" Beast Boy pointed out.

"Maybe, but I kinda think Frozen Feast sounds interesting. I want to see what it is." Robin proposed instead.

"I kinda like the sound of Dark Matter. Says here they've got a sci-fi theme." Cyborg suggested himself.

"If you guys really want a scare I could suggest something for you." The information booth attendant proposed with a smirk.

"Do you know which one is the scariest?" Robin asked curiously.

"Can't really say, everyone's different. That being said, however, everyone who's submitted their vote form at my table kept going on and on about the Sleepy Hollow entry. From what I've heard, it'll probably win."

All the teens quickly looked over the guide to find that entry. "Find the fears of days long past on the road to Sleepy Hollow." Cyborg read aloud. "Not much of a description."

"That's what I said too, but trust me on this. That's the one to try." The attendant insisted.

"Then we should make haste to that one should we not?" Starfire directed with an anticipatory smile. They didn't see much point in disagreeing, and followed the map to the location. It was easy enough to spot with how long the line was.

"Whoa... I guess this really is the best one." Cyborg noted as he looked around. "None of the other one's have a line like this."

"Yeah, and we're probably going to be stuck in this line all night." Beast Boy complained just looking at it.

"Suck it up, Beast Boy, this should be worth the wait." Robin looked over the crowd as best he could and saw a group coming out of the alley behind the warehouse screaming. They stopped after passing the threshold and began laughing. "See, looks like fun." They watched as several groups came out just like that, and the line slowly shrank with each one.

"Hey, we're next, you guys." Beast Boy announced in excitement. After a few minutes a tall dark robbed figure holding a lantern emerged to quietly beckon them in. The figure glided across the ground as if their feet didn't even exist, and the heroes followed.

As soon as they passed through the curtains, a voice that sounded like it was distorted and run through speakers addressed them. "Welcome, guests, to our quiet Sleepy Hollow. We ask that you refrain from attacking any of the horrifying creatures you may see here. Though they are not supposed to bring you harm, they may should you attack them." The voice chuckled darkly as they followed the robed figure through a dark path put up in the building. "As you may have already gathered, you are already under the watchful gaze of many creatures of our town." Glowing eyes from every direction greeted the heroes which made Beast Boy cling to Cyborg. "Please do use care while we make our way through the cemetery. The residents don't take kindly to others stepping on their gravestones."

As if in response Beast Boy tripped over one knocking Cyborg to the side in the process. As the changeling pushed himself up he couldn't help but notice the hand that was now grabbing for the cybernetic teen. "Cyborg, it's got you!" He wailed as he pulled at the skeletal arm that held him until he ripped the arm from the ground.

He held up his leg and gingerly tried to pull the appendage off though it didn't make it easy. "Damn it! Get off!" With a little help from Starfire, Cyborg was freed much to his relief.

"You best hurry along. The graves are restless." The voice informed as they all saw several more arms come up from the ground. All four teens made a B-line to catch up with their guide who'd kept walking despite their problem.

"Geez... this place is good." Beast Boy commented as he continued to cling to his friend.

"Yes... it is most frightening..." Starfire stated not too big on being scared.

"Don't worry, it's not real, Star." Robin reminded.

"Sure felt real..." Cyborg muttered thinking back on that skeleton hand.

A howl broke through the air and interrupted their conversations. "Ah, it would seem he is out tonight. I recommend you beware, for the wolf man prowls these woods." Their guide informed as a makeshift forest was suddenly illuminated before them. It was obviously a 2-D silhouette, but it was a nice effect. A large beastly figure began moving through the trees before them as they approached the wall.

"Can you hear the sound effects?" Beast Boy whispered to his large friend.

"Yeah, it sounds so real..." He admitted with a drop of sweat going down his cheek.

"Don't be absurd, my friends, it's very real." The voice laughed darkly again as the beast growled before freezing right in front of them. Their guide simply kept going, but the teens found themselves dawdling where the wolf man stopped.

"I wonder how they're making this illusion..." Robin wondered as the beast suddenly seemed alert. "It's like it can hear us." In response the beast growled again and a set of razor sharp green claws tore through the wall. They all yelled at the glowing eye that inspected them through the paper wall, and ran off towards their silent guide again.

"Okay... way too real..." Beast Boy let out as he tried to regulate his breathing.

"Yeah, I get why everyone would be talking about this place." Cyborg agreed letting out a breath from the scare.

As they continued down the path several abrupt loud noises made them jump in surprise. "Oh, don't mind them, my wonderful guests. They just get so excited when strangers come to town. If they weren't so shy, they'd let you see them." Several flashes flickered around them and new shadows appeared. Along with their own, the shadows of several bizarre creatures floated about holding what they assumed were the sources of the sounds.

"These creatures... I cannot see them, Robin." Starfire meekly whispered to her boyfriend before jumping once again to the a very close slamming noise.

"Just remember, Star, it's just a haunted house. All of it is fake." He tried to console though he was looking a bit uneasy himself.

"And now it would seem we've reached the end of our journey, my friends. Please do come to our fair town again." The voice implored before chuckling. "Oh, and do be careful on your way, we wouldn't want anyone to lose their heads on their way out of town." He then continued laughing as their silent guide appeared to deflate to the ground. The lantern landed with a clang and the robe was now empty.

"Uh... where'd they go?" Beast Boy asked as he held up the robe.

"I-I bet it's just a trick, Beast Boy. There wasn't anyone in the robe from the beginning." Cyborg explained with only partial confidence.

"So... is that all?" Starfire asked looking around outside the path.

"Looks like it. I think we're behind the warehouse." Robin pointed out as he gestured to a sign. "We should go back around this way."

As Beast Boy dropped the robe and joined his friends they all began to hear a strange tapping noise. "Uh... anyone hear that?" Beast Boy wondered as he looked the other way down the alley. A large figured quickly appeared from around the corner cloaked in an ethereal glow.

"Uh... is this guy part of the attraction?" Cyborg asked aloud getting a creepy vibe.

As the figure slowly approached, they were revealed to be two. A skeletal horse clad in dark armor was the mount of one even more darkly dressed rider. "Actually... he might." Robin responded as he pointed. "Sleepy Hollow is supposed to be a story about a headless horseman..." The rider opened their cloak, and Robin's point was made.

"Okay... so this guy doesn't have a head..." Beast Boy stated with a gulp. "Big deal..."

"Uh, yeah well doesn't the headless horseman chop off other people's heads looking for his own?" Cyborg pointed out thinking about what he knew of the legend. All eyes were on their visitor as the scrape of metal signaled the specter's intent. They hoisted their sword high where the moonlight hit it ever so perfectly just before the horse reared back to charge. "Now's a good time to run." Cyborg suggested as he turned to dash away.

"Yeah, I like my head where it is!" Beast Boy agreed as he ran after.

Robin and Starfire followed close though she couldn't help but look back. "Eep!" She jumped up to fly upon realizing they were being followed.

"He's chasing us!?" Beast Boy yelled aloud.

"You know, Robin, this is starting to feel pretty real!" Cyborg added in as they all turned the corner. The light from the crowd wasn't far now, but the rider was closing fast. Starfire made it out of the alley and turned just in time to see Beast Boy almost lose his head. The rider had his sword drawn as he leaned to the side of his horse, and would have cleaved it off had he not stopped short of the shadow's edge. They all watched from the alley's opening as the horseman reared back again and pointed his sword at them. The specter then turned his horse to head back where he came from without a single word.

Beast Boy rubbed his neck gingerly as he looked back. "That... was way too real."

"Definitely."

"Yes, it was most terrifying." Starfire agreed as she smiled at her friends. "And so it is fun, yes?"

Robin gave a nod. "Yeah, and it wasn't actually real you know..." He trailed off a bit thinking of what they saw. It was impressive to say the least.

"Eh, doesn't beat Raven's haunted house when she brought that movie to life." The changeling suddenly shrugged as if he hadn't been freaked only moments ago. They all laughed thinking back on that as they headed back to the main area.

"Anyway, let's try a few of these other ones." Cyborg gestured to the one with a Dark Matter banner. "Can't really vote on one if we don't at least look at the others."

"True, but that one's going to be tough to beat." Robin agreed as he followed with his friends to the next attraction.

* * *

It took a little over an hour to get through the rest, and by that point the judging was slated to start. All of the attractions were closed for the announcement, though when the announcer revealed the winner it was no real surprise. "And by no mere few was Sleepy Hollow voted scariest attraction!" A roar of screams and applause erupted from the excited crowd. As the man looked over the line of contestants, he found his winner wasn't among them. "Anyone for Sleepy Hollow?" The contestants all looked between themselves before another scream drew their attention.

From the back of the crowd charged the headless horseman sword drawn and ready. Gasps and screams grew louder upon his approach, and the crowd split as to not hinder his charge for the stage. The announcer held up the plaque with a mix of excitement and fear awaiting the spectral contender. "S-so, you're representing t-the Sleepy Hollow attraction?" He stuttered out after the horseman stopped with his sword only inches from the man's throat. In all honesty he was too scared to move even though he did get to see the attraction himself already. The specter held his blade up a moment before sheathing it without a word. He then held out his hand for the award while the announcer stared at the empty space where his head should be. "W-well, this was well deserved!" He finally finished realizing this was all part of the act. "I don't know what a headless horseman is gonna do with a Game Station EX Ultra, but I think we can all agree Sleepy Hollow was the best haunted house we've ever had!" He announced loudly with renewed excitement. The whole crowd agreed, and that included the other contestants despite their loss. None of them could deny just how well staged even that last ride was. As the horseman accepted his prize the horse reared up to turn. The path was still open from before, and he wasted no time in dashing down to make his retreat.

"That is way cooler when I'm not the one about to lose my head." Beast Boy declared as he cheered with the rest of the crowd. "But seriously, who was that guy?"

"I know. That was incredible, and those effects were like Hollywood level." Cyborg agreed as he crossed his arms. "I kinda wanna know who it is. I mean some of the stuff was pretty simple, but that headless horseman outfit, and all the props had to cost a lot. I mean if you could afford all that, why not just buy a game station? The cash prize was even swapped out for a bunch of gift certificates, so it's not like they got any money back." He turned to see Robin rubbing his chin curiously himself. Something about the theme seemed familiar.

"Perhaps they simply wished to enjoy the scaring with us." Starfire suggested. "I only wish Raven and Phantom had been here as well."

"Maybe we should check on 'em?" Cyborg raised his arm communicator with a teasing expression. When he tried Danny, he didn't get a response, but Raven picked up after only a second.

"Yes?"

"Having fun with your boyfriend?" He teased though her glare was response enough.

They heard a scream in the background which made her smirk when she turned away. "You could say that."

"Where are you right now?" Robin asked curious as to what they were doing.

"We're out at the docks." She responded calmly.

"The haunted house contest?" He asked, and she nodded.

"Why did you not wish to come with us then? Would it not be more fun to do the scaring together?"

"Star, I think you mean getting scared. Anyway, I thought you guys had other plans. You know you didn't have to make something up to go out on a date." Cyborg teased again.

"Why don't you and Phantom meet up with us? The contest is over, and most of the attractions are packing up already." Robin interjected before Cyborg could finish teasing.

"Sure, we're out by the Sleepy Hollow warehouse." She informed before hanging up with a strange smirk on her face.

* * *

It didn't take long for the heroes to make it back to the Sleepy Hollow warehouse that now adorned a closed sign. "Looks like that one's packing up too." Cyborg pointed out as he looked around for their friends.

"At least we already got to see it. Anyway, where's Raven?" Beast Boy wondered as he looked around the empty area. "This place is getting way creepy now that no one's here."

Cyborg clucked at him with a smirk. "Chicken?"

"You weren't the one who almost lost their head." He countered as he rubbed his neck.

"Come on, BB, it wasn't real."

"It is Raven!" Starfire called out as she pointed by the entrance to the ally nearby.

All eyes turned to her, and they made their way over. "This place is closing up, Raven. We should get going." Robin proposed as he looked around. "Where's Phantom?" She gestured with her head behind them just as a loud snort drew their attention. All of them froze in surprise before slowly turning their heads to be met with the mysterious headless horseman. As soon as he had all eyes on him, the horse reared up and three yells erupted from the heroes while one looked on in curiosity. "...Phantom?" None of the others seemed to hear the boy wonder's inquiry though the horseman took his hand from the hilt of his sword. He silently pulled his horse aside before dismounting without a word.

"Don't take my head! My face is all I've got!" Beast Boy yelled as he tightly hugged Cyborg who looked just as terrified. Starfire hid behind her boyfriend who's expression grew more curious by the second. He stood before them with the moonlight in the background giving more attention to the empty space inside his cloak's collar. There was nothing but tense silence for almost a minute before Danny's face suddenly appeared. "Boo!" He shouted moderately with an amused expression. Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy all yelled from surprise though it didn't take them long to realize who was standing before them.

"So it was you." Robin declared with an amused expression of his own.

"Yeah, what gave me away?" Danny asked as he tried not to laugh at how scared he made his friends.

"Well, if I'm being honest, I didn't think it was you until you showed up for that award. Effects like this would be easy for you." Robin explained thinking on the act.

The other three turned to him. "Wait... You knew? Why didn't you say anything?!" Beast Boy whined in embarrassment.

"Yeah, a heads up would have been nice." Cyborg agreed as he crossed his arms with embarrassment.

"And ruin your fun?" He asked with a minor laugh.

"Yes, Phantom, you are very good at the scaring." Starfire praised now that she knew it was only part of Halloween fun.

"You think?" Danny asked as he rubbed his chin. "Well, I can't take all the credit. It was Raven's idea to begin with." He pointed to the quiet sorceress who was watching from behind them.

"You mean the whole headless horseman thing? Really?" Beast Boy wondered in surprise.

"Not just that, but everything in the haunted house." He pointed to the Sleepy Hollow sign. Beast Boy's jaw dropped at the revelation.

"Well... I guess I can see that." Cyborg stated aloud thinking back on everything.

"What do you mean? All she was doing all week was reading. How could she come up with all this?" Beast Boy countered thinking back on all he'd done to come up with ideas for his design.

"You might want to try reading more too, Beast Boy." Danny suggested as he pulled out the very same book Raven had offered to the changeling earlier that week. "...Sleepy Hollow...? Are you kidding me?!" He gripped at his hair in disbelief.

He turned to see Raven with a superior smirk which only made Danny laugh. "Maybe next time you'll give it a try." She proposed before making her way over to her boyfriend.

"Well she's no Fright Knight, but she does have an eye for a good story." Scott finally spoke from under the black armor.

"Oh, and by the way, Scott, I gotta say I'm surprised you didn't break character the whole time. I'm kind of impressed." The halfa remarked as he pulled off the head armor to reveal the skeletal horse.

"You should really give me more credit than that." He remarked in minor insult.

"I figured Scott was the horse." Robin commented as he crossed his arms. "And I guess those others in the warehouse are real ghosts too?"

Danny nodded. "Yeah, the ones I've spent all week rounding up."

"Why did you not tell us of your plans for the scaring?" Starfire asked feeling slightly left out.

Danny rubbed the back of his neck. "Actually, I didn't have any plans for this until a few days ago when Scott told that story and Beast Boy mentioned the contest." He gestured to Scott. "You see Scott wouldn't stop complaining about how unfair I was being and brought up the contest saying even humans get to scare people. That's when Raven gave me the book and said it might be fun to try it." He gave a shrug. "I mean it wasn't a bad idea, and Scott was able to get almost all of the other ghosts we ran into on board so long as I let them go. They save their scaring for this haunted house, and the humans come to them for a scare. It was a 'win win' in my opinion."

Scott smirked in amusement. "I'll say. I don't think I've ever scared so many humans in one night. I dare say we should do this every year!" He seemed so full of energy just thinking about it.

Danny turned back to him with a wary expression. "Don't get your hopes up, Scott." He jumped back up onto the horse's back and gestured to Raven. "Anyway, Polar said he'd handle clean up so I'm thinking it would be fun to break in that new game station."

"That's what I'm talking about!" Cyborg agreed with a fist pump.

"Okay, hold up!" Beast Boy called out with his arms making a T. "Just one more question. How'd you get your design into the contest? They didn't even give mine a second look." He protested which caused a few eye rolls.

Danny tried not to laugh at the question but he was failing. "Uh sorry, Beast Boy, but I didn't submit a design. I showed up to the submission site dressed like this. Also, if I had submitted a design, I wouldn't have used crayon." He then whipped the reigns. "Alright, let's go." Scott took off with his two passengers leaving the three others behind.

"Better luck next year, Beast Boy." Robin consoled the speechless teen.

"Yeah, maybe we can all work on one if they have it again next year." Cyborg announced as he made his way back to where they'd parked the T car. "Now, onto the Game Station! Night's still young!"

Beast Boy let out a sigh as he followed. "Yeah... Maybe next year we'll just stick with movies."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Halloween! Plus, Danny needed some redemption from his sorry haunted house in the show. Please take note most of this is head-canon based loosely on a few different myths and traditions rolled into one. I'm pretty sure they used something other than pumpkins to begin with, and I don't think its terribly connected to Samhain. I just thought it would be cool as an origin for the Jack-o-Lantern since they're the Fright Knight's weakness.=^-^=


	35. Bonus - Core Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny wakes up sick, but that's only the start of his problems...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I kept forgetting I hadn't put this bonus on my AO3 yet. This one was slightly inspired by the Fanfiction "Core Cold". If you've never read it, you might want to. Its hilarious. This, however, is very different, and how I interpret a Core Cold to be. Please enjoy.=^-^=

The morning was miserable for the halfa. No matter what he did he just couldn't keep himself asleep even though the previous night was exhausting and he still wanted to sleep. It was barely 9 am before he finally gave up and sat up in his bed. The shift did make him a bit dizzy which he thought was just because he was tired until he felt his nose running. As he became more fully awake he realized he couldn't breathe through his nose at all, and it felt unbearably hot as well. "Damn... what's with the heat?" He groaned out realizing he had sweat building on his brow. "No wonder I couldn't sleep... ugh..." He pulled out some tissues which enabled him to breath better through his nose but who knew how long that would last. As he was changing out of his stifling PJs he finally noticed how quiet it was. "Scott?" He called curiously before covering a sneeze. He looked around but didn't see him. "I guess he woke up and got bored...?" Danny just gave it a shrug and transformed once he was fully dressed.

The relief was instant. While his nose still felt like it was stuffing up, and he could feel another sneeze coming on, he also felt cool. "Wow... I love having an Ice Core." He perked up a bit now that he only had to deal with his runny nose. As he walked through the hallway with a few more tissues in hand he thought over where this.. cold? Yeah, it had to be a cold even if it was rare for him to get sick. So where'd it come from?

The previous night, the Titans had been tracking this crazy nut job called Killer Moth who'd recently escaped from prison. A week after that they found some creepy lair but no moth freak even after hours of going over the ridiculously hot and humid lab inside. Danny could almost feel the sweat he'd been caked in the previous night. By the time they finally called it quits he swore he could slip right out of his own suit without unzipping it.

He paused as he covered a sneeze. "Maybe I got too hot?" He blew his nose thinking about it. Yesterday the high was 52 so maybe it was the temperature difference. "Oh man... Raven might be sick too.." He finally realized at remembering how uncomfortable she seemed in the lair despite her incredible attempts to hide it. He made a point to pick up his pace straight to Raven's room only to find it empty on arrival. He knocked several times before letting it go though.

* * *

"Ugh!... Why is it so hot today?" Beast Boy groaned from a lazy position sprawled on the couch. He had the remote on a channel showing Arctic landscapes hoping it would cool him down.

"Knock it off, Beast Boy. You're only making it worse." Robin complained back as he leaned over the counter.

"Perhaps this homemade dish of my home will make you feel better." Starfire offered with a smile as if the heat was barely there.

The food was red and reminded Robin of a wilted sea urchin made of dough. "Uh Star...?" She only gave him an encouraging smile before he took a bite. He chewed and found it surprisingly refreshing before suddenly feeling a fire ignite in his mouth. He dashed over to the sink in order to drown the flames as steam floated from his lips.

"Well that settles it." Cyborg resigned as he entered the room in disappointment. "The AC is still working, but the heat outside is just too high. Half the city is having this problem too." He looked out the window at the rising sun in the cloudless sky.

"I hate fall weather." Beast Boy groaned in agreement. "Can't the stupid sky make up its mind!? Hot or cold man!" He then flopped back with no energy left to complain for a few more minutes.

Cyborg slouched onto the couch with him before directing the blinds to shut on one window to cast a nice shadow. "Nope... didn't help." He mumbled feeling the taxing heat despite being part machine.

"I don't know how Raven does it..." BB wondered tiredly. He lifted his head lazily to see the sorceress in the corner of the room in full view of the sun meditating as if nothing was wrong. "It's so not fair..."

Robin turned to look at the peaceful sorceress as well before shrugging and moving over to the fridge. He felt maybe a minute or two in the open door might make him feel better. He kneeled down and opened it only to be met with the green eyes of the cranky skeleton they'd grown to know. "Gah! Close the door before I melt!" He scolded as he flailed his bony wings in irritation. Robin slammed it shut out of shock rather than listening to Scott's request. "There goes that idea..."

"Was that Scott?" Beast Boy asked sitting up in his own misery and looking over the couch.

"Yeah." Robin simply answered before taking his spot back at the bar.

"How does a skeleton get hot anyway?" Cyborg asked no one in particular from his spot on the couch.

"I find it better not to ask." They heard in response as the doors slid shut. Phantom had finally joined them but no one but Starfire had the energy for much of a greeting. "Good morning, Phantom... are you unwell?" She wondered noting something very odd about his appearance.

Danny blew his nose before nodding and looking for a spot to sit. "Yeah, I think I caught some kind of cold..." He held in a sneeze as he took a seat down the bar from Robin.

The boy wonder finally sat up just in time to feel a wave of relief wash over him in the form of cold air. It was as if the stifling heat suddenly evaporated around him, and sent a chill over the exposed portions of his skin. "Whoa... the AC finally back?" He asked looking up, but the air didn't seem to come from the vents but... from next to him?

"So the AC is busted? I was wondering why it was so hot this morning." Danny muttered with a sniff as he readied another tissue.

Robin turned to him feeling the air come from his direction, and had to do a double take. "Uh... Danny? You okay?"

Danny turned to him with a raised brow. "I just told you I have a cold."

"Whoa! Where is that wonderful cold coming from!?" Beast Boy suddenly shot up with a wide grin.

Cyborg lifted his head and felt it too. "Whoa... you're right." He lifted his arm computer and looked at the temperature. "Whoa the temp just dropped 20 degrees in here... and it's still going." He turned to Beast Boy who looked surprised. He then looked towards Danny and his jaw dropped.

When the halfa finally noticed the four sets of eyes looking at him he grew slightly frustrated. "What? Is it so weird to catch a cold?"

"Well... a ghost cold?" Beast Boy asked looking to Cyborg who was still too caught up in what was obviously wrong with their friend.

"Uh actually, Danny, it's not the cold I was asking about." Robin finally responded with a concerned tone. "You're uh... Looking kind of pale." He tried to point out gently as to not freak Danny out.

"Pale!? His skin is blue, Robin!" Beast Boy corrected with far less tact.

Danny seemed confused at first; like the statement made no sense. "Blue?"

Robin let out a sigh and nodded. "Well... yeah kind of a pale blue." He gave a disproving glare to Beast Boy before pulling out a small mirror to show him.

Danny furrowed his brow in the odd reflection. "I'm... blue?" He suddenly snatched the mirror out of his hand and finally panicked. "I'm blue!?" He reflexively kicked his feet to get away from the reflection only to topple off the bar stool he sat on.

"Just calm down, Phantom, I'm sure it's not something to worry about." The leader tried to comfort as he reached down to give the halfa a hand.

Danny took his hand while reaching for the mirror in worry. "What the heck..."

"Gah!?" Robin dropped Danny's hand as soon as he took it in surprise.

The halfa looked up from his spot on the ground. "Oh great, what's wrong now?"

Robin rubbed his hand as if he'd just been burned. "You're freezing." He declared while straining to flex his fingers. He moved over closer to the window in hopes of thawing it out. "It felt like you were trying to flash freeze my hand."

Danny stood on his own with only a light stumble. "Huh?" He looked at his own hand and then to Robin's. "What do you mean? I'm not that cold am I?" He touched his hand with the other curiously. It felt completely fine to him.

"Well... according to my scanners you are." Cyborg pressed a few buttons on his arm as he held it over Danny. "Based on the temperature around you, and the one outside, I estimate you're internal temperature is around -290. Not too far away from what you see in flash freezing." He pulled his arm back and noted a small amount of frost had built up. "Whoa... and it doesn't even take more than a few seconds for you." He took another scan from further away.

"You think that has something to do with his skin?" Robin asked shaking the rest of the stiffness from his hand while walking back over.

"Possibly, I mean cold usually makes people look more blue because of constricted blood vessels... though I don't get how that would work in your case." He admitted as he scratched his head.

"Aww, feeling blue, Phantom?" Beast Boy jabbed as he popped back up on his other side. "Or maybe that cold's got you blue in the face from blowing your nose!" He laughed though no one else found it funny.

Danny simply gave him a dead stare before a sneeze snuck up on him and he sprayed Beast Boy point blank. The idea of being sneezed on wouldn't have been half as bad considering Danny had frozen him solid in the process. Danny's eyes widened in worry as he grabbed the green ice sculpture. "Uh... Sorry, Beast Boy." Starfire joined in to help him move it and hopefully thaw Beast Boy in the window with the blazing sun shining down. She then held up starbolts to help it along while Danny backed away since he was apparently freezing things with a touch.

Both Robin and Cyborg traded glances. "Uh... I'm starting to think your cold is more literal than just a stuffy nose."

Robin nodded in agreement. "Yeah kind of like this heat wave." He crossed his arms with a curious expression. "An interesting coincidence they happen on the same day."

"You think Phantom is causing the heat wave?" Cy asked looking surprised.

"Well he did make it snow over the tower last year." The boy wonder pointed out.

"Yeah, but I didn't make clouds. I just added the cold so it would be the right temperature to snow. Also, I could only do it above the tower not the whole city." He lifted a tissue to sneeze which made both heroes flinch back reflexively. "Galufnog" Star responded though Danny wasn't sure why she'd said it. "Uh... Thanks..." He finished blowing his nose before getting back to what he was saying. "Anyway, like I said before, I added the cold. I can't generate heat past my plasma ray." He lit up his hand with a weak green glow. "Though I guess I can barely do that right now. I'm thinking the cold may have been from being in the oven Killer Moth calls a lab. I've never had a high tolerance for heat."

"That have anything to do with why Scott's in the fridge?" Robin inquired pointing towards the appliance. It made sense considering how exhausted Danny looked when they got home last night.

Danny only shrugged. "I don't know."

"W-well do y-you know i-if you could turn down t-that c-cold?" Beast Boy whined as Star was finishing off the ice on his legs.

* * *

Over the next hour Danny did what he could to rein in his ice powers. Cyborg was more than relieved he didn't end up frozen after Danny accidentally sneezed on him. All things considered though, Danny's cold was pretty convenient in the heat wave. "Danny? Are you okay?" Raven had finished her meditation to find the halfa sitting at the bar laying on his arms. "Danny?" She placed her hand on his shoulder and flinched at the cold.

"Hmmm?" Danny raised his head. "Oh hey, Raven." He gave her a tired smile while sitting up.

She raised a brow at seeing his odd complexion. "Are you... alright? You don't look good."

"Phantom has a literal cold." Beast Boy informed from his spot on the couch. He was currently engaged in watching a fighting game match between Robin and Cyborg.

She looked back at him and then to Danny again. "Is that why you're blue?"

Danny shrugged weakly. "I don't know." He covered a sneeze. "Maybe?"

She gave him a worried expression. "If you're not feeling well you should go back to bed."

"No way!" Beast Boy turned to lean over the back of the couch. "If he leaves the room it'll go back to being an oven." He protested like it was the worst thing in the world. Raven glared at him though Robin spoke up before she did.

"Raven's right, Phantom. You really don't have to stay in here just because Beast Boy begged you." He paused the game and turned to them. "This isn't the first heat wave to hit California."

Danny waved it off. "Really its fine, guys. I'd be just as miserable in bed. That's why I got up in the first place." He finished with a sniff.

"You heard him right? At least he can be our back up AC, plus" He jumped over the couch and placed his soda cup against the halfa's shoulder. It almost instantly began to mist as the cold invaded the beverage. "He can keep our drinks refrigerated while Scott hogs the fridge." Raven continued to scowl at him considering he was using her boyfriend as a glorified house appliance.

"It's fine, Rae, really." He comforted so Beast Boy wouldn't end up in another tragic predicament that day. With his palm outstretched he made an ice cone before putting a ball of snow on top. "Here, Beast Boy, try it with this."

The changeling was quickly interested in the frozen treat idea and poured his drink over it. "Ooooo! Nice idea, Phantom." He turned to the others now back to their game. "Hey Phantom's got snow cones!" Starfire jumped up in excitement which caught Robin, who was sitting next to her, off guard.

"Oh yeah!" Cyborg cheered as he reveled in victory. "How was that for a combo?" He gloated standing with a victory dance. "Best 3 out of 5?"

Robin shook his head with a frown. "Nah, I'm going to go check up on any leads for Killer Moth."

"We already got his lab. You think he could be back to plotting something so soon?" Cy inquired back thinking Robin just didn't want to lose again.

"It's possible. We never did find out what he was doing in the lab to begin with." He pointed out before turning to head out of the room. As soon as he was out in the hall he almost went right back to the living room with how hot it still was. He wiped the sweat already building on his brow and looked down at it. "This heat is just crazy, even for California." That's when a thought came to him and he rubbed his chin. "The heat..."

* * *

It was several hours before he came back into the main room where he was quickly greeted by Starfire. "Robin! You are just in time for the beverage of slush!" She held out an odd yellow kind of slushy though the familiar smell made him hesitant to try it.

"Um, Star... what is it?"

"It's a slushy!" Beast Boy announced from the counter where he and Cyborg where brewing more in a blender.

The tameranean dragged him over to show him. "Yes, you must try one!" She slurped her own straw and Robin took note of the queasy expressions the other titans gave her.

"Yeah, Robin, and I've got'em in an assortment of flavors!" Cyborg placed several different colored cups before him. "Raspberry, orange, lime, or how about Cherry!" He pushed that one to Robin who still seemed a bit surprised at the whole thing.

"Why are you making slushies?" Though the idea was pretty refreshing considering how hot it had been in his room.

"Remember when Danny made me that snow cone? Well it was really good, but the cone melted through so I put it in a cup, and made a slushy."

Cyborg nodded. "Then about 20 minutes ago Scott finally got out of the fridge so I could get to the juice." He held his hands over the cups. "Ta-dah!" It didn't seem like a bad idea though Robin did find it weird Star's was the only one that was yellow.

"This is great." He praised after having some for himself. He then looked around for Danny after remembering he was probably the one to supply the ice. "Hey, how's Phantom holding up?"

"Hmm? Oh he's right over there with Raven." Cyborg pointed with a teasing expression.

Robin turned to see the halfa resting on one of the smaller couches along the wall. He was leaning slightly on Raven's shoulder as she read a book. He also noted Raven had one of the slushies as well though hers hadn't been touched. His smile quickly melted to worry after realizing something was off. "Uh, Cyborg? Is it me or is he even more blue than before?"

Cyborg and Beast Boy both looked over to the halfa curiously. "Now that you mention it..."

"He's less baby blue and more sky blue." BB finished as he framed the halfa in his fingers as if he were cropping a picture.

"You think we should be worried?" Cyborg asked with a more serious expression. "He hasn't frozen anything else since Beast Boy, and Raven seems fine with him leaning on her."

Robin looked at the halfa with an analytical gaze. "I don't know, but I don't think it's a good thing." He then turned back to them after remembering what he'd uncovered in his room. "Also, I figured something out about this heat wave. It's apparently isolated to Jump City."

"Wait, how come we're the only one's stuck melting?" BB complained.

"How exactly is Jump the only city heating up?" Cy asked ignoring Beast Boy's complaint.

"I don't know, but I thought this heat wave was weird. I don't think it's natural."

"Could it perhaps be some sort attack then?" Starfire wondered already half done with her icy treat.

Robin nodded. "Maybe, but I wasn't able to find any possible sources by scanning from my room."

"I imagine so considering how hot it is outside this room." Cyborg headed over to the main computer at the head of the room. "We should be able to use this one though." He began typing in commands to scan for any unnatural sources of heat in the city. A map appeared and was quickly overlaid with a thermal image. Most of the city was red while a feint trail of dark red spidered out from downtown.

"Whoa... What's that all about?" BB wondered aloud actually noticing the pattern.

"It's like a... trail?" Cy proposed.

"Or maybe one large mass?" Robin added in. "Whatever the case, judging from how its laid out I bet it's in the sewers."

Cy gave a nod as a highlighted map of the sewer system appeared. "Looks like you're right. Some of the sewer gates have even been closed around it."

"We've found our possible heat source. Titans, let's go!" Robin ordered as he turned to the door.

Starfire flew to follow before noticing Raven as she gently pulled away from the sleeping halfa. "Um... Will Phantom be coming?"

"That sounds like a cool idea." Beast Boy declared with a thumbs up.

Raven simply glared at him as she shook her head. "I don't think it's such a good idea. Getting over heated is most likely what caused him to get sick to begin with."

"Agreed." Robin nodded and gestured back to the door. "We don't know exactly what's going on, and we don't need him getting any worse if this heat really is the problem." The only complaint was a groan from Beast Boy since he'd be back to melting once they left.

* * *

"Okay so now it's hot and it reeks." The changeling groaned after they'd turned another corner trying to home on the heat source underground.

"Yes, and you're definitely helping." The sorceress quipped dryly.

"This isn't a time for fighting." Robin interjected before Cyborg gestured forwards. "Shh... It's about a hundred feet ahead." Robin looked on into the dark tunnel ahead hoping for some kind of sign. They still didn't know what was causing the heat, but he had a sneaking suspicion Killer Moth was behind it somehow. The question was how?

"Eep!" Starfire jumped and moved her starbolt to see what had just passed her.

"Starfire? What's wrong."

She looked around the dark tunnel with a nervous expression. "I thought I saw something..." She seemed uncharacteristically fearful though he had seen her brought to a similar state because of rats.

"W-what was it?" Beast Boy asked taking a wary glance around.

"Shh!" Robin cut off anymore conversation to better hear the echoing sound in front of them. All eyes turned to look as well, and the sound quickly became recognized as footfalls. "Titans, get ready." He calmly ordered the more their guest became visible.

Killer Moth's cloak swayed with each step though the most obvious feature was the unnatural shimmer that radiated off the eyes of his moth mask. "Ah, if it isn't the Teen Titans again. You found me faster than I expected."

"You shouldn't underestimate us!" Robin shot back before gesturing forwards. "Titans, surround him!"

Killer Moth quickly cackled as the other heroes circled him in the sewer tunnel. "You've surrounded me, I suppose I should just give up now." He chuckled again while Robin gave him an analytical glare.

"Uh... anyone else hear that?" Beast Boy wondered as he noticed a muffled scurrying sound. He looked around into the darkness as Killer moth chuckled again only louder.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Titans, but you're the ones who are surrounded!" He raised both arms up and hundreds of glowing eyes lit up the tunnel around them.

* * *

The halfa awoke to the strangest sensation as if an oven was opening in his face. He could feel his hair blowing back and finally opened his eyes. "Ugh... Bright..." He groaned rubbing his eyes to see better.

"About time you got up. We're almost there."

Danny looked up to the source of the voice. "Scott? Almost where?" He then finally realized he was being carried by the back of his suit. "Whoa! Hey!" Scott let him go and the halfa dropped a few feet before stopping himself rather shakily.

"You sure you can fly on your own?" Scott flew down to be eye level with the halfa who looked a bit dizzy and confused.

"I'm fine... uh... Scott?" Danny asked realizing the bony ghost didn't look so bony anymore. "Did you get feathers?" If he didn't know any better he would think he was some kind of albino hawk instead of an irritating skeleton.

Scott simply rolled his eyes with a grin. "Marvelous aren't they? Though they aren't really feathers." He flapped them a bit to show off how they glittered under the sun. "Frost has been building up on my body since I woke up this morning."

"Uh-huh... this why you were in the fridge?"

"Of course. I was worried they'd start melting in this heat, but the ice only seems to continue to form."

Danny just looked at him as he posed to show off. At this point his head was just not processing much through his cold, so he didn't know what to really say about it. "Uh... great?"

Scott laughed giddily. "I know right?"

"So, why are we floating over down town?" Danny asked looking below at the city streets appearing to ripple under the heat of the sun.

"Oh, that's right. I remember hearing some commotion in the common room and found everyone had left but you. I took a peek at that map they left on the screen and figured that's where they rushed off to." He explained while still admiring his glittering snow feathers. Danny raised a curious brow and looked down again to see if he could spot any of the other titans. A few seconds later he suddenly felt light headed and began to fall out of the air. "Oh, come now!" Scott complained as he swooped down to grab him again. "I had a feeling you wouldn't stay airborne." He then continued his flight to where he'd assumed the other titans would be with Phantom hanging semiconscious in his talons. "Just let me get us there before you pass out again."

Danny didn't really have the mind to completely understand him let alone argue. "... I hate being sick..." He groaned as the city blurred beneath him. About the only thing he could tell clearly was that where ever they were going, it was getting hotter.

"Well now, this is quite interesting. I have yet to see the park so deserted before." Scott noted aloud as he hovered a few stories above it.

"Hot...below us is really hot." The halfa grumbled in response.

"Yes yes, but we're almost there."

"No..." Danny countered opening his eyes again. "It's hot down there..."

Scott gave him a curious expression. He'd been hearing Danny mutter delusionaly about heat since he'd almost passed out about ten minutes ago. "What do you mean then? I already know it's hot."

The halfa pulled against the bird's talons and Scott forced them to land before he dropped him again. Danny pushed himself up on his hands and knees with a tired groan before sitting back against a tree. "The heat, Scott... It's not coming from the sun..." He pat the grass he was sitting on. "The ground... it's under there."

"The ground? Doesn't the Earth generate heat as well? I remember something about a molten core or some such scientific garble." He then landed in the grass only to hop instantly to the air. "Oh!... That's what you meant..." He checked his icy tail feathers to make sure the hot grass didn't melt them. "Perhaps this is what the others left to take care of then?"

"Yeah..." Danny agreed still resting back against the tree.

"Oh no you don't! You can't fall asleep on me again!" Scott immediately pecked him awake.

"Ow! Quit it, Scott! I'm tired!" Danny growled as he swatted him back.

"You're not serious are you? You had plenty of hours of sleep!" Scott argued back eliciting an annoyed glare from the halfa.

"Scott, are you blind? I'm si-achoo!" He sneezed straight at his whining assistant though Scott didn't seem to be bothered. "I'm sick..." Danny wiped his nose on his sleeve and laid back again. "That's probably why the others left without me."

"Sick?" He asked back as if confused. "If you were really sick, you be a delusional wreck who couldn't mutter a word of sense." He then rolled his eyes. "Though I suppose I forgot to take the human half of you into account..." Scott groaned out at the end as if it were so inconvenient.

"Nice to know you care..."

"Whatever. I didn't imagine you could fight in your state anyway. I just needed you nearby so my feathers wouldn't melt. I will be handling the back up."

Danny only gave a weak wave of his hand. "Whatever... just get on with it..."

Feeling a bit slighted at the action, Scott turned to take a good look at the area. If the heat was indeed coming from the ground, then the map he saw earlier must have been for the sewer. Finding a manhole in the park wouldn't be terribly hard, but it was much easier than the ghost thought it would be. Of course the large eruption of fire shooting the manhole cover into the sky seemed to help too. "Good heavens!?" Bones squawked at the massive fire ball slowly expanding before him.

"Now my children! Let your fire grow! Burn the city down, and I shall build my realm in the ashes!" Killer Moth appeared riding on part of the fiery mass laughing in triumph.

"What the devil is this all about?!" Scott flew around and began to notice the fire was more than what it appeared. It was actually a swarm of flaming insects he was dealing with, and the strange creature was standing on the largest one. "Isn't that the one who Phantom was looking for before?" He cleared his throat and flew up to the costumed crook. "Uh excuse me, are you the moth man?"

Killer Moth froze in his gloating and turned to the white specter. "Moth man? No! I am Killer Moth! The future ruler of this city!" He announced with a maniacal laugh.

"Oh right, that was his name." Scott flew around the mass a few times looking for any of the titans. "If they aren't up here then they must still be below." He deduced with an unhappy expression as he headed for the entrance underground. There were a few fires in the tunnels, but Scott could tell they wouldn't stick around. In these waterways, a fire didn't have much to really burn after the initial gases burn off.

"Hold on, BB I'm comin!" He heard a familiar voice shout down the tunnel. He turned a corner and saw Cyborg push Beast Boy into the water while Robin worked to put out a large fire nearby.

Raven used her powers to enclose and suffocate one of the smaller ones. "Well, that went well..."

"I can't believe it ate Star's Starbolts." Robin threw down a capsule that exploded into a white foam. "It was like the heat made them stronger somehow."

"Then it is my fault the Killer Moth escaped." Starfire lamented with a guilty expression.

"Come on, Starfire, you couldn't have known they could do that." Cyborg corrected as he helped Beast Boy out of the water now that he wasn't on fire.

"Yeah, and what kind of messed up bugs were those? Flaming moths!?"

"Whatever they were, they were probably the heat source we detected in the tower. Looks like Killer Moth made a swarm of fire moths."

"Rather ironic in my opinion." Scott interjected to make himself known.

"Scott?" Robin inquired at the bird's odd appearance.

"Yes yes, I know what you're thinking. I am quite a handsome bird if I do say so myself." All the titans gave him deadpan stares in response though he ignored them in favor of showing off his glittering feathers. "Oh, by the way, that Moth creature you all were looking for is about to swarm into the city. Since you obviously don't need my help, I refuse to stay down here a moment longer." He declared before phasing up through the ceiling.

* * *

Above ground, Killer Moth was directing his swarm towards the downtown area before noticing a familiar figure nearby. "Ah! Another titan! I was wondering where you were. I saw you on the camera feed in my lab." He directed his Moth to fly down closer and was surprised to find him sleeping while the others were busy dealing with the firestorm he left behind. "Lucky you. Be the first to taste the full wrath of my evolved fire moths!" The large moth he was riding opened his razor maw and a column of flames shot out at the halfa.

Killer Moth's triumphant laugh was cut short when the smoke cleared to reveal Danny was completely unscathed. Not even the tree or the grass around him was scorched. "What's going on here?" He jumped off his mount and approached the sleeping titan. "Some sort of trick?" He growled in frustration. He was so close to his goal, so if even one titan stood in his way, he didn't want them standing for long. He inspected the young hero before nudging him with his boot. "Not fake..."

Danny stirred a bit from the contact and peeked his eyes open. "I told you to leave me alone." He grumbled while his vision was still blurred from sleep.

"I'll be happy to leave you alone when you're a pile of ashes!" Killer Moth declared as he ordered his fire moth to burn him again. He saw the fire envelope the hero and raised his fists in victory. "This time for... wait..."

The fire died out as the halfa sat up. "Seriously? I told you I was tired!"

"Huh?" Killer Moth took a few steps back in surprise at seeing Danny rise and once again without a single burn. "What's going on!?" He watched as the halfa stumbled towards his moth and sneezed as he missed a step. The moth's fire cloak went out like a birthday candle and it fell to the ground curled up and smoking.

Danny landed face first in front of it and lifted his head curiously at the steaming creature. "Is... that a giant moth?" He wondered with tired yet very confused eyes.

"Well aren't you just brilliant." Scott appeared next to the halfa looking rather curious himself. "I suppose these fire moths are something to be sneezed at after all? Huh?" He quipped which made Danny chuckle weakly. He then realized he'd just made a terrible joke much like what Phantom would have and groaned inwardly. "Ugh... wonderful..." He then raised a brow at Danny's changed complexion. "Now I know this might not be the best time to ask, but are you bluer than before?"

Danny only groaned as he face planted into the grass. "Don't remind me..." He grumbled. Scott merely wondered over the change. He'd noticed Danny was blue, but he did look a touch darker than before.

"Is this some sort of joke!?" Killer moth raged at the idea he'd been ignored so far. "Get them!" He ordered his swarm as he took some distance. "If one isn't enough then try the whole swarm!" He shouted with a maniacal laugh. The fire moths swirled around the two ghosts like a flaming tornado. The fires intensified as they joined together and the heat began to incinerate the flora nearby. Just as it appeared to be as bright as it could get the tornado suddenly exploded in a mass of curled up moths that rained over the area. "What!?" Killer Moth cried in bewilderment. "My swarm!?" A wave of cold air swept the area with a frost riding its heels. Within seconds the whole area was dusted white, and Killer Moth was shivering in his suit.

Danny was laying at the center with Scott beside him looking suddenly more like a big white ball of fuzz than a bird. "Well... that was interesting."

Danny let out a yawn as he lifted his head. "Nice feathers, Scott."

Scott merely rolled his eyes in distaste. "Oh just go back to sleep would you?" He turned away. "I go out of my way to help and what does it get me?" He muttered at the loss of his beautiful plumage.

Killer Moth was too stunned at what had just happened to notice when the other titans emerged from the sewer. Their surprise was more short lived once Robin noticed the villain just standing around. "Freeze, Killer Moth!" Cyborg and Starfire dashed around to cut off a possible escape though the villain still seemed too dumbfounded to realize what was happening. "M-my swarm..."

* * *

"So basically it was my ice core going into overdrive." Danny explained the next day having completely recovered from his 'Core Cold'.

"I had a feeling it was something like that." The now bony once more Scott replied.

"It's a pretty good coincidence though. Those fire moths just got hotter when exposed to heat, but you got colder." Robin reasoned with a smirk. He changed the channel to the weather where the news team was baffled by the sudden snowfall that hit the city late last night.

"Yeah, since I don't have a high tolerance for heat my ice powers worked to keep me cool. Frostbite said it was rare, but the fact I actually caught a cold made it worse." He laughed at that. "Too bad for Killer Moth huh?"

"Would you guys mind NOT LAUGHING ABOUT THIS!?" Beast Boy whined with a shiver under his blanket. "Is that cocoa done yet?" He sniffed up his stuffy nose and Raven handed him a cup.

"It's just too bad your cold's completely useless." She remarked at seeing Beast Boy get his just deserts for using Danny as an AC unit/ice maker.

"Some pity for the sick would be nice."

"I know right? Doesn't it suck when people don't understand you don't feel well?" Danny remarked giving Scott a glare from across the couch. "By the way, Beast Boy, you're looking even more green than usual. Were you jealous of my cold?" Beast Boy's only response was to grumble as he sipped his cocoa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some more good fun! (Partially at BB, and Danny's expense) I really found it fun as I went over ideas for the plot to this. I started out with, Danny turning blue, and then wracked my brain for a bad guy. Someone I could give a anticlimactic defeat and still make it sound good, you know? Anyway, I hope y'all enjoyed. Please leave a comment!=^-^=
> 
> BTW, I've been thinking over another Bonus chapter involving BB and Terra's date, but hit a snag plot wise. Any other ideas ya'll maybe think would be fun?


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